The acting chief commissioner for Canada’s grain handling regulator has formally levelled up to the chief’s role, while the GM of Manitoba’s general farm group replaces him at the second seat. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday appointed Doug Chorney — an agricultural engineer and grain and oilseed grower at East Selkirk, Man. — […] Read more

Former KAP president promoted at CGC
KAP GM to replace Chorney as CGC's assistant chief

Agrium, Potash Corp merger shouldn’t have much of an impact yet
CNS Canada – Farmers shouldn’t be too concerned yet that the recent Agrium, Potash Corp of Saskatchewan merger will cause an increase in the price of fertilizer, at least according to the president of one provincial producer group. “(The merger is) a hard one to find a whole bunch of negatives or positives about it. […] Read more

Cash ticket deferral option to remain unchanged
The federal government is leaving its deferred cash purchase ticket policy unchanged. When listed grains (wheat, oats, barley, rye, flax, canola, rapeseed) are delivered for payment at a licensed elevator, an elevator operator can issue either a cash purchase ticket or a deferred cash purchase ticket, payable in the year following the year in which […] Read more

Mixed reactions from farm groups to Bill C-49 progress
Commodity News Service Canada – Western Canadian producer groups support changes to rail transportation in Canada but vary on support of the latest legislation, Bill C-49. Bill C-49 passed its third reading in the House of Commons Nov. 1 and is now off to the Senate for review. The bill is meant to amend the […] Read more

Keystone Agricultural Producers defends cash ticket deferrals
Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers has joined other farm groups in calling on the federal government to keep a regulation that allows farmers to defer grain sales into the following year for tax purposes. The government announced in its recent budget that it is considering eliminating grain ticket deferrals because it is a left over from […] Read more

Manitoba surveying farmers on KAP funding system
The Manitoba government wants “farmers’ and stakeholders'” feedback on potential changes to Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) funding model — and fast. The deadline to fill out an online survey or download and email it in is March 9, the government said in a release Thursday. “The current approach to funding our province’s general farm organization […] Read more

Churchill layoffs in effect, uncertainties remain
CNS Canada — Layoffs from Manitoba’s Port of Churchill are now in effect, but questions remain for those formerly employed by the port, the future of the town and the dynamics of Canadian grain handling. Answers to those questions aren’t coming from OmniTrax, the Denver-based railway that operates the port, as company officials have remained […] Read more

Farmers dismayed over Port of Churchill closure
Manitoba’s largest general farm organization Keystone Agricultural Producers is calling on the federal government to keep the Port of Churchill operating until the end of the 2016 shipping season and beyond. Workers at the Port of Churchill were told Monday there would be no grain shipments going through the port this season, leaving approximately 10 […] Read more

How farm safety legislation played out in Manitoba
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Alberta government has suggested its farm workplace rules are going to be very similar to other provinces So what does that look like? Perhaps the best example is Manitoba, where in 2009 the NDP government extended workplace, health and safety rules to farms and made workers’ compensation compulsory. Doug Chorney was president of Keystone […] Read more

Doing the right thing — and getting paid for it
ALUS program shares cost of stewardship projects with farmers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Like most farmers, Kevin Ziola wants to be a good steward of the land — but it’s been tough for the third-generation farmer to balance his conservation efforts with his bottom line. “As a cattle farmer, I believe it’s important to work with nature, not against it,” said Ziola, who runs 200 head of cattle […] Read more