Latest Feed Crisis May Be Too Much for Battered Hog Sector U.S
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MEATY WHAT’S RODENTS GO THE DEAL? DOMESTIC Worried about farm program Grasscutters a new food direction » PAGE 3 and income option » PAGE 4 SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 70, NO. 36 | $1.75 MANITOBACOOPERATOR.CA Witness claims shooting pigs unnecessary Some shot several times By Shannon Vanraes CO-OPERATOR STAFF rovincial workers took a full day to shoot 1,300 P hogs in a barn that is now under investigation for inhu- mane treatment of its animals, according to a former employee who claims to have witnessed the event. The weanlings were shot using 22-calibre rifles and some were shot “three or four times” before dying, said the man, who requested anonymity saying he fears being charged with inter- fering with the province’s inves- tigation. He said he tried to film Doug Martin is depopulating his hog barn near East St. Paul. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES See PIGS SHOT on page 6 » Latest feed crisis may be too much for battered hog sector U.S. drought has sent feed prices sky high just when hog producers were eyeing a return to profitability By Shannon Vanraes Currently, he’s losing more than $30 per ations who often buy feed and livestock CO-OPERATOR STAFF weanling. using credit. But with negative margins Skyrocketing feed prices have hit the hog predicted for future contracts, credit is t’s been a gut-wrenching decision, but sector — still recovering from a 2009 H1N1 hard to come by. Doug Martin is shipping off his sows swine flu scare, effects of U.S. country-of- The plight of Manitoba’s hog producers I and depopulating his East Selkirk hog origin labelling laws and a strengthening was thrust into the limelight recently, fol- barn. Canadian loonie — with another wave of lowing the euthanization of 1,300 wean- “It’s very difficult,” said Martin. “We’re losses. And there is no end in sight. lings by provincial authorities. But indus- going to lose money depopulating, but “It’s a bad situation, especially for try representatives caution against linking I would lose more money by staying in the weanling producers,” said Martin. hard financial times to possible animal business.” “There’s just no market and no hope, welfare cases. Martin’s family has been in the hog there are a lot of iso-weanlings selling for “People have said this is about eco- business for 75 years, but like most hog a dollar profit or just being given away.” nomics,” said Andrew Dickson, general producers in the province, his 1,200- Many producers in the province sell sow operation is facing tough times. their weanlings to American finisher oper- See HOGS on page 6 » Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 clean up your stubble with fall-applied prepassTm Xc. performance uaranteeD. applied in fall. Lasts to spring. Nothing hits harder or lasts longer in stubble. Only fall-applied PrePass XC provides superior SoilActiveTM control of winter annuals, dandelions and volunteer canola for three weeks next spring. For weed-free stand establishment and maximum growth of your cereal crops. Guaranteed. PrePassTM and SoilActiveTM are Call 1.800.667.3852 or visit www.dowagro.ca. trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC. 08/12-18799 18799C PrePass Stubble 10.25X3_FBC.indd 1 12-08-24 3:37 PM g 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | September 6, 2012 iNSIDE FROM the food File LIVeStOCK Will starving yourself help Choking off disease spread you live longer? Maybe not Manitoba Monkeys on calorie-restricted diets had healthier hearts resort a natural break 12 and immune systems, but they didn’t live longer by sharon begley growing community of believ- new yoRk / reuters ers who seek better health and longer life in calorie-restricted CROPS he longevity diet’s diets. premise is seductively The new study suggests a T simple: cutting your calo- surprising disconnect between rie intake well below your usual health and lifespan. It found Cure for diet will add years to your life. most of the 57 calorie-restricted But new research shows monkeys had healthier hearts high prices? the extreme, emaciating diet and immune systems and doesn’t increase lifespan in lower rates of diabetes, cancer Soaring prices Americans have the highest per threaten rhesus monkeys, the closest or other ills than the 64 control monkeys. But there was no lon- capita daily consumption in the organic sales 17 human relatives to try it in a rigorous, long-running study. gevity payoff. world, eating 3,770 calories a day, While caveats remain, outside “You can argue that the more than a Canadian at 3,590 experts regarded the findings calorie-restricted animals are calories or an Indian at 2,440, as definitive, particularly when healthier,” said Austad. “They according to data from the UN combined with those from a have better cholesterol pro- Food and Agricultural Organization. FeAtURe similar study. files, less muscle loss, less dis- But does a calorie-restricted diet “If there’s a way to manipu- ease. But it didn’t translate into mean you live longer? phoTo: ReUTeRS/ late the human diet to let us greater longevity. What we learn carlos Barria (UNITeD STaTeS) Twitter live longer, we haven’t figured from this is you can unlink it out yet and it may not exist,” health and longevity.” restriction when young died of and Tweet said biologist Steven Austad of While initial results were causes unrelated to aging than the University of Texas Health promising, the study found did their free-eating peers. Social media Science Center, who wrote an the oldest animals in each “There may be something feeds grain market 20 analysis of the study in Nature. group had the same inci- about calorie restriction that jitters Since 1934, research has dence of tumours, heart dis- makes animals more suscepti- shown that lab rats, mice, yeast, ease and general deterioration. ble to death from other causes,” fruit flies and round worms fed Moreover, it found health mark- said Austad. 10 per cent to 40 per cent fewer ers were often worse in mon- Many of the study’s calorie- calories than their free-eating keys that began calorie restric- restricted monkeys died of CROSSROAdS peers lived some 30 per cent tion as young adults than older causes unrelated to aging, such longer. In some studies, they ones, the opposite of what sci- as anesthesia used in some lived twice as long. entists expected. And more of experiments and gastrointesti- Leadership Such findings spawned a the animals that started calorie nal bloat. and commerce Co-ops continue to make a difference 22 READER’S PHOTO Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 9 Classifieds 26 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 30 ONLINe Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features and our digital edition. (Click on “Digital Edition” in the top right corner.) At our sister site, AGCanada.com, you can use the “Search the AGCanada.com Network” function at top right to find recent Co-operator articles. 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Canadian Postmaster: [email protected] Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to: Production director Shawna Gibson TM 204-981-3730 [email protected] circulation Dept., 1666 Dublin Ave., CANOLA INK 204-944-5763 Winnipeg, MB. R3H 0H1 The Manitoba Co-operator | September 6, 2012 3 KAP worries about less income support under Growing Forward 2 Will a new federal-provincial emphasis on research and innovation mean fewer dollars for direct farm income support? By Allan Dawson if AgriStability funding will be co-operator staff cut, but added “(t)here is defi- nitely a keen interest to devel- o u g C h o r n e y f e a r s oping new markets that will the federal-provin- provide financial support for D cial AgriStability farm various commodities.” income support program will Innovation could also result get less funding under the new in more processing of raw Growing Forward 2 agreement farm products, bolstering the Canada’s agriculture ministers Canadian economy, he said.