North Dakota has traditionally led in confection sunflower acres. However, this year if estimates prove true and projections are on, Manitoba may have more acres than North Dakota. “It has to do with alternative crops,” said Fred Parnow of Seeds 2000, Crookston, Mn. “When we got into spring time here, the farmers finally realized that confection contract prices were not going to be to the price levels they were in previous years. Wheat futures had a pretty good boost coming into spring.”

Prairie swine producers are applauding a Canadian Grain Commission plan to restructure western Canada’s wheat classes.

An Alberta, Canada pork producer suggests technologies designed to cut the amount of water wasted by hogs in the grower barn not only offer environmental benefits, but substantial economic benefits.

Canada’s national and provincial farm animal care councils are joining forces to deliver a three year 700 thousand dollar project designed to put farm animal welfare on the agenda.

The Canadian Pork Council has identified Korea and Japan as key markets with which the pork industry would like to see Canada aggressively pursue bilateral free trade arrangements. Recently, a coalition of nine Canadian agricultural groups, including the Canadian Pork Council, applauded transport minister David Emerson’s aggressive approach to negotiations for bilateral trade agreements and his commitment to accelerate efforts to clinch new trade deals.

A coalition of Canadian agricultural commodity groups and private companies is applauding the federal government’s aggressive approach to negotiations for bilateral trade agreements.

This is great news for a Manitoba company that just doesn’t give up. Why has it been such slow slugging? “We’re the first,” says company president Willie Hoffmann of Winnipeg, MB Canada.
On June 8, Prairie Orchard Farms, under its Verdancia Farms Trademark, officially received label approval from the USDA to market their naturally Enriched Omega-3 Pork in the United States. This means the meat processor is the first naturally enriched Omega-3 pork producer to receive USDA approval in North America.

When Mexican President Vicente Fox told farmers and farmer organizations recently in Mexico there is a serious effort to negotiate with the United States and Canada to exclude beans from complete trade liberalization in 2008, Pulse Canada officials took notice. “We figured something like this would probably come along,” said Pulse Canada Chair, Jack Froese from his farm in Winkler, …