SpuD Carbon citY cOStS Potato growers were out in Alberta’s carbon tax is force for Potato Days last hitting farmers there in week in Brandon » PG 20 the pocketbook » PG 9 February 1, 2018 SerVinG manitoba FarmerS Since 1925 | Vol. 76, no. 5 | $1.75 manitobacooperator.ca Five commodity group merger discussed at Ag Days Who you gonna call? Some are concerned the merger could cause EMS closures and inconsistent signage have some producers worried more checkoff refunds BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff / Brandon ncreased checkoff with- d r a w a l s a n d r e d u c e d I farmer control were top concerns during a discussion at Ag Days Jan. 16 on merging five Manitoba crop commodity groups. “I worry that it will be ex- tremely easy (if there’s one group instead of five) for a farm- er to pick up the phone and get See group merger on page 6 » Farmers gather in Winnipeg for Keystone Agricultural Producers annual general meeting. Photo: Shannon VanRaeS information about how emergency the case of a fire,” he said. “We want to BY SHANNON VANRAES services will be provided once those make sure they know how to get to us Co-operator staff stations are shuttered. and that they can get to us in a timely “That’s a great concern for farmers fashion.” anitoba farmers are con- and rural communities,” said Simon Stations slated for closure include cerned medical assistance Ellis, who represents District 7. He those in Bissett, Reynolds, Riverton, M won’t be there when they put forward a resolution on the issue Lundar, Pinawa, Manitou, Swan Lake, need it most. at Keystone Agricultural Producers’ Elie, Cartwright, Treherne, Ethelbert, Last summer, the province’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg Reston, Rossburn, Balder, Birtle, Oak Progressive Conservative govern- last week. Lake, McCreary, Hartney, Hamiota, ment announced it would close 23 “Response times are critical to peo- Grandview, Elkhorn, Wawanesa and emergency medical service (or EMS) ple who have been injured and we Boissevain. The province has also stations. Now, producers are calling don’t want to see farmers losing their on the government to provide more lives or their infrastructure, if it’s in See emS cloSureS on page 7 » Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 WIN BIG Sign up to win! VISIT GO4ARYLEX.COM Contest ends October 31, 2018 *Actual prizes may vary from photos. ® TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies. | 01/18-59164 59164-01 DAS_Arylex 2018_Go4Arylex Giveaway_10-25x3.indd 1 2018-01-24 9:59 AM 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | February 1, 2018 INE SiD Di D you know? L iVESToCk Scientists want to understand Taxing behaviour of invasive weeds times Why are certain plants able to enter a new ecosystem and run riot? A meat tax isn’t likely but meat alternatives are 12 STAFF s it possible to predict which non-native plant spe- I cies will become invasive CRoPS weeds and when? According to research featured in the jour- nal Invasive Plant Science and Management, the answer is Big bushels “hopefully yes.” Researchers say invasive spe- An Ag Days speaker cies generally follow a three- says 70-bushel canola phase development curve — is possible 17 from lag to expansion to pla- teau. The length and rapidity of the expansion phase varies and determines how aggressively a plant spreads. “Understanding the source of this variation can help us pre- CRoSSRoADS dict which non-native species become invasive,” says Pedro Antunes, who co-authored the paper with Brandon Schamp, Mental anguish both of Algoma University in Kudzu, or Japanese arrowroot, is an invasive vine that climbs and encases anything it encounters, including native vegetation like these trees in Ag Days speakers tout Sudbury. “The key is to take a best Mississippi. It’s sometimes called ‘the vine that ate the South.’ mental health efforts practices-based approach to PHOTO: CREATIVE COMMONS/GALEN PARKS SMITH on the farm 28 gathering and comparing data about past invaders.” accuracy and confirm the ori- to determine what traits make It turns out the information gin and biological classification plants aggressively grow and to track these invasions is out of the plants, creating a ‘family expand. there, it’s just a matter of finding tree’ that links it to other plants. “As our knowledge increases, it and making sure it’s adequate. Researchers then system- we can make better-informed M oRE nEwS The starting point is records atically collect new data annu- predictions about the likelihood collected by universities, muse- ally using 10 square kilometre of particular species becom- ums and governments, some quadrants to evaluate the abun- ing invasive and the timeline dating back to the 1700s. dance of non-native plants and they will travel as they do so,” Bean battle Researchers then verify their compare the “invasion curve” Antunes says. Monsanto is facing some stiff competition for soybean seed 33 READER’S PHOTO Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 8 Classifieds 37 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 42 ONn Li E & MoBiLE 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. Select “Manitoba Co-operator” in the pull-down menu when running your search. Scan the code to download the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app. PHOTO:JeanneTTe Greaves www.manitobacooperator.ca Ed ITOR Gord Gilmour NEWS STaFF / REPORTERS AD VERTISINg SERVICES SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES [email protected] allan dawson Classified Advertising: Toll-Free: 1-800-782-0794 204-294-9195 [email protected] Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. U.s. subscribers call: 1-204-944-5568 204-435-2392 Phone: (204) 954-1415 e-mail: [email protected] F Or ManITOBa FarMers sInCe 1927 EdITOR, agCaNada.COm Dave Bedard lorraine Stevenson Toll-free: 1-800-782-0794 SUBSCRIPTION RaTES (G sT registration #85161 6185 rT0001) [email protected] [email protected] 1666 Dublin avenue Canada 204-944-5762 204-750-0119 Winnipeg, MB r3H 0H1 dIRECTOR OF SalES Cory Bourdeaud’hui 12 months $71.00 (incl. GsT) Shannon VanRaes Tel: 204-944-5767 Fax: 204-954-1422 [email protected] 24 months $115.00 (incl. GsT) [email protected] FBC EdITORIal dIRECTOR 204-954-1414 36 months $143.00 (incl. GsT) www.manitobacooperator.ca Laura rance 204-954-1413 [email protected] alexis Stockford adVERTISINg CO-ORdINaTOR USA Published by Glacier FarmMedia LP 204-792-4382 [email protected] arlene Bomback 12 months $160.00 (Us funds) 204-230-9345 Member, Canadian Circulation audit Board, [email protected] Publications Mail agreement #40069240 Issn 0025-2239 204-944-5765 Member, Canadian Farm Press association, PUBlIShER Lynda Tityk CIRCUlaTION maNagER Canadian Postmaster: return undeliverable Canadian addresses [email protected] Heather anderson Member, Canadian agri-Marketing association NaTIONal adVERTISINg Jack Meli (covers only) to: Circulation Dept., 1666 Dublin ave., [email protected] 204-944-5755 [email protected] Winnipeg, MB. r3H 0H1 204-954-1456 647-823-2300 TM PRESIdENT Bob Willcox PROdUCTION dIRECTOR Glacier FarmMedia shawna Gibson RETaIl adVERTISINg Terry McGarry We acknowledge the [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] financial support of the 204-944-5751 204-944-5763 204-981-3730 Government of Canada. The Manitoba Co-operator | February 1, 2018 3 Uncertainty puts U.S. won’t recapture brakes on hog barns TPP opportunity in Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler is optimistic about NAFTA, coming years noting Trump can’t end the deal without support from the Senate Canada’s beef and pork producers are and the House of Representatives poised to benefit from the resurrected Trans-Pacific Partnership BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff / Brandon an opportunity for Canada to BY SHANNON VANRAES really focus on getting more anitoba needs 40 new Co-operator staff deals done before they finally hog barns over the do decide to come in, if they do M next five years to meet anada’s entry into a res- decide to come in.” nearby processor demand, but urrected Trans-Pacific Dermot Hayes, an American the province’s agriculture min- C Partnership bodes well economist and consult- ister says NAFTA uncertainty is for the province and for the ant to the U.S. National Pork hindering that development. country, say those in the know. Producers Council said it’s likely “I would say that is part of the Speaking at Keystone that the U.S. will likely remain problem, to be honest,” Ralph Agricultural Producers annual out in the cold even after the Eichler told reporters at Ag general meeting in Winnipeg “craziness” in Washington Days here Jan. 16. “There’s that last week, Manitoba’s Minister subsides. uncertainly. But let’s be clear of Agriculture Ralph Eichler, “I think the U.S. will recog- (President Donald) Trump can NAFTA uncertainty isn’t helping encourage new hog barn construction in said the pork industry will be nize, eventually, that not par- tear NAFTA (North American Manitoba, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler told reporters after he spoke at the biggest winner under the ticipating in these agreements Free Trade Agreement) up, but Ag Days in Brandon Jan. 16. He said Manitoba processors need 1,500 more new deal, which was rechris- is against its long-run, vested it still has to go through the slaughter hogs a week.