What's New at MCA Archives - Manitoba Crop Alliance

Call for Tender: Group 2 Herbicide-Resistant Confection Sunflower Hybrid

Coles Ag on October 15, 2024

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is pleased to invite tenders for exclusive rights, in Canada, to production, marketing and distribution of the Group 2 herbicide-resistant confection sunflower (MCA 359239 and MCA 359306*) produced from the only farmer-funded hybrid confection sunflower breeding program in Canada.

The tender application form, which must be submitted separately for each hybrid of interest, can be downloaded here:

Application form

MCA 359239 and MCA 359306 have been registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

*NOTE: MCA 359239 was previously called EX 359239 and MCA 359306 was previously called EX 200306/EX 20306.

MCA reserves the right to reject any or all tenders and to negotiate the terms of agreement with any proponent.

For more information, or requests for samples of the above lines, please contact Katherine Stanley, Research Program Manager – Special Crops with MCA, at 204-898-4122 or katherine@mbcropalliance.ca.

Please forward tender submissions to katherine@mbcropalliance.ca by 4:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 15, 2024.

Delegate position available on MCA sunflower committee – apply today!

Coles Ag on October 8, 2024

Sunflower growers:

Want to help build a strong future for the Manitoba sunflower industry?
Want to contribute your experience and passion for the agriculture industry to a worthy cause?
Want to meet likeminded people and have new experiences?

We need you!

Manitoba Crop Alliance is looking to fill one delegate position on its sunflower committee, starting immediately.

Roles & responsibilities of committee delegates

Who is eligible?

To be eligible to apply, candidates must:

Be 18 years or age or older
Have grown and marketed sunflower in Manitoba
Have paid check-off fees to the organization in the previous fiscal year (i.e., have not received a refund)

Apply now

Please note, the deadline for applications is 4:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 8, 2024.

Completed forms can be submitted electronically or by mail/fax.

Email:
pam@mbcropalliance.ca

Mail:
Manitoba Crop Alliance
Box 188
Carman, MB R0G 0J0

Fax:
204-745-6122

For questions, please contact:

Pam de Rocquigny
pam@mbcropalliance.ca
204-750-0217

Sign up now for our 2024 Corn Yield Competition

Coles Ag on October 1, 2024

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is looking for participants for the 2024 Corn Yield Competition!

All entrants must be farmer members of MCA.

Prizes will be awarded as follows at the CropConnect Conference banquet, which will be held on Feb. 12, 2025:

1^st Prize – $1,000 and a wall plaque (sponsored by the company with the winning hybrid)
2^nd Prize – $500 and a wall plaque
3^rd Prize – $300 and a wall plaque
4^th and 5^th Prize – Receive a wall plaque

Instructions for entering the yield competition

Please review the instructions and keep them in mind as you are scouting for the very best spot in your field. Even if you don’t have your spot(s) picked out, you can still enter early!

For more information or to enter, please contact:

Morgan Cott
Agronomy Extension Specialist – Special Crops
Manitoba Crop Alliance
204-750-2489
morgan@mbcropalliance.ca

We’re Hiring: Summer Research and Extension Assistant

Coles Ag on September 23, 2024

We are seeking a summer-term, full-time Research and Extension Assistant to join our dynamic team and serve our farmer members who grow wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax in the province of Manitoba.

The Research and Extension Assistant is responsible for supporting MCA staff and operations through field, administrative, data-management and event work for all MCA activities, under the supervision of the Research Program Manager – Special Crops.

This role requires a highly motivated individual with a passion for agriculture, strong communication skills and a positive, team-oriented attitude.

Click here to view the full job posting – including duties and responsibilities, desired qualifications and experience, and working conditions of the position.

To apply, please forward a resume and letter of interest by e-mail to katherine@mbcropalliance.ca. Application deadline for this position is 4:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 8, 2024.

JOB POSTING: University of Manitoba Agronomist in Residence – Special Crops

Coles Ag on September 12, 2024

The University of Manitoba is seeking candidates for a new, full-time Agronomist in Residence – Special Crops position. This position will lead the development of an applied research and knowledge translation program focused on advancing corn, flax and sunflower production in Manitoba.

The agronomist in residence will collaborate with members of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Manitoba Government oilseed and cereals specialists, Manitoba Crop Diversification Centres and MCA. They will participate in undergraduate and/or graduate student training, in MCA crop committee meetings, and assist in the development of research priorities for corn, sunflower and flax farmers in Manitoba.

We are extremely excited about this position and the benefits it will create for special crop producers across the province!

Learn more and apply

After 30 years of farming, becoming a delegate with Manitoba Crop Alliance showed how much I had left to learn

Coles Ag on July 12, 2024

By Jonothan Hodson

When you’ve been farming your whole life, it’s easy to think you’ve seen and done it all – that there’s nothing else for you to learn about the job or the industry. Thanks to my decision six years ago to put my name forward to become a director for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, I’m happy to report that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Like many farmers, my introduction to agriculture happened when I was young, growing up on the family farm. I spent some time away to go to university, and then to live and work in New Zealand for a growing season to learn about agriculture there, before returning to the family farm, where I’ve been for the last three plus decades. Through it all, I was extremely curious about the industry and thought about getting more involved, but it still took a bit of a coincidence for me to take the leap.

Six years ago, I was at the CropConnect Conference when I heard that the Manitoba Corn Growers Association was looking for new farmers to join its ranks. I said I might be interested, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was in. When Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) was formed in 2020 from the amalgamation of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and four other crop commodity organizations, I stayed on to become a delegate of MCA’s corn crop committee, and then had the privilege to be nominated to serve as one of the inaugural directors for the organization.

I understand there are a lot of reasons people are reluctant to put their name forward. You might be nervous you’re not going to be able to offer much or feel like your opinion might not be needed, but that isn’t at all the case. In fact, it was completely the opposite. The committee and the organization were very welcoming from day one and showed me there was nothing to worry about. My input and perspectives were valued, and it quickly became clear each member of the organization had something unique to offer.

MCA staff are there to support you every step of the way and answer any questions you might have. They are passionate about finding innovative ways to help producers in the province now and into the future, and it feels meaningful to be a part of that important work.

One reason I encourage all farmers to get involved is to help determine where your check-off dollars are invested. Ensuring those investments align with the priorities of farmer members across the province is a major responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. The second reason is just as valuable: becoming a delegate is an incredible opportunity for personal growth.

My time as an MCA delegate has been an amazing learning experience. Manitoba is a diverse province, with many different climates, soils and types of crops being grown. As a result, I leave every crop committee and board meeting having learned something I didn’t know before from one of my fellow delegates or directors. Since 2018, my personal development has been dramatic, taking me from a delegate on the corn crop committee to an MCA director and now to an additional role as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. During that time, everything I learned about agriculture in Manitoba and across Canada has made me a better farmer and a better advocate for our industry.

None of this would have been possible without taking the first step. As my dad always said, “You can’t finish until you start.” Looking back with those wise words in mind, my only regret is that I didn’t get involved sooner.

So, don’t make the same mistake I did – regardless of where in the province you call home, how long you’ve been farming or how much you think you know, the time to “start” is now.

Jonothan Hodson is a director and corn crop committee delegate with Manitoba Crop Alliance, as well as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. He and his family farm near Lenore, MB.

Meet Manitoba Crop Alliance’s inaugural high school bursary recipients

Coles Ag on July 10, 2024

MCA_2023-24 High School Bursary Recipients Graphic_Twitter

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector.

Six graduating high school students from Manitoba have been awarded with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Alara Krahn from Mather, Laura Delichte from St. Alphonse, Riley Jorgensen from Cromer, Madisyn Robertson from Neepawa, Zenith Vanstone from Miami, and Evan Whetter from Alexander.

“I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to our inaugural high school bursary recipients and wish them well in their continued studies,” says MCA Chair Robert Misko. “MCA is committed to supporting agriculture’s next generation and expanding our bursary program is one way we have demonstrated that commitment.”

To qualify for these bursaries, applicants did not need to be continuing into an agriculture-specific program. However, they did need to clearly articulate how their continued studies would help them benefit the agriculture industry.

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, how they hope to use their education to benefit the agriculture industry, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included Adelle Gervin, program manager with Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba; Sonia Wilson, oilseeds specialist with Manitoba Agriculture; and Santosh Kumar, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre.

Gervin graduated with a bachelor of science in agriculture (animal systems) from the University of Manitoba in 2019. She strives to educate today’s youth on our agricultural story and show them her perspective as a cattle rancher and “agvocate.”

Wilson recently started her role with Manitoba Agriculture, which includes focusing on special crops such as flax and sunflower. She has a background in agriculture focused on plant genetics and research.

Kumar completed his master’s degree at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India, before moving to Canada for his PhD. As a PhD student at the University of Manitoba, he worked on barley physiology and genetics. His current area of research includes wheat variety development, climate resilience and clean environment trait introgression, and targeted trait manipulation.

Thank you to the selection committee for evaluating the bursary applications and congratulations to the recipients!

Learn more about this year’s recipients

MCA-commissioned study highlights research capacity challenges in Manitoba

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

Agricultural research is fundamental to the continued productivity and sustainability of Manitoba farmers and supporting high-quality research is foundational to the mission and vision of Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA).

The research needs of farmers are unique, accounting for diverse geographic regions and crop types, and constantly evolving in response to consumer demand, climate and other factors. As a result, Manitoba’s research community must be well positioned to meet the current needs of farmers, while also anticipating the challenges they will face in the future.

We recently engaged Backswath Management to execute a study evaluating the existing crop research capacity in Manitoba. Most public and private research institutes contacted in the Backswath survey were interested in collaborating with MCA to meet farmer research objectives, but many cited barriers to initiating or expanding collaboration.

The study identified four main challenges facing research capacity in Manitoba:

Equipment was frequently cited as a limitation to meeting the research needs of Manitoba farmers. Increased demand on existing equipment and the need for new or specialized research equipment were emphasized in several survey responses. Barriers to addressing equipment challenges were often related to funding programs and reduction in funding at research institutions.

Infrastructure and access to land has created challenges for numerous private and public researchers in Manitoba. At public institutions, existing infrastructure is aging and not keeping pace with current demand or technological advancements. Meanwhile, the creation of new infrastructure has been slow, or non-existent. Demand for currently owned land at research stations is high and renting land from farmers can be challenging.

Program funding was strongly correlated to existing limitations of equipment, infrastructure and land access. Many funding programs limit the ability to offset the cost of capital expenses and do not allow expenditures related to ongoing maintenance and repair. Current funding structures were also noted as limiting the capacity to address certain research questions. Many funding programs are limited to a three- to five-year research project. As research questions become more complex, the need to fund longer-term studies is critical to adequately address these challenges. Funding programs have also become increasingly time consuming, placing strain on researchers and their staff to undertake administrative responsibilities, which take up time that could otherwise be spent conducting research.

Human resources are a significant challenge to research capacity. Recruitment and retention, as well as identifying skilled workers, were noted as limitations for both private and public research institutions. Competition from private industry outside the research field and adequate compensation were noted as barriers to addressing human resource related challenges in research.

We will carry out additional in-depth discussions with both private and public partners to determine the next steps to increase research capacity in Manitoba. We recognize the importance of fostering strong relationships between industry and research. By pursuing direct engagement with the Manitoba research community, we hope to improve communication, provide context for Manitoba farmers’ research objectives and identify opportunities to collaborate with new and existing members of Manitoba’s research landscape.

From Prairie to pint: Canada-China Barley Seminar strengthens trade relationship

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

As member of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) participated in the 2024 Canada-China Barley Seminar in Qingdao, China, from June 19-20. This CMBTC-hosted seminar aimed to strengthen relationships with a key market for Canadian barley by connecting the Canadian barley value chain with Chinese maltsters and brewers.

“The seminar provided a unique platform for the Canadian barley value chain to engage directly with Chinese maltsters and brewers to cover critical aspects of Canadian barley supply and quality, production practices and sustainability,” says CMBTC chair Jon White. “China is a key market for Canadian barley. This event was pivotal in showcasing our superior quality to our end users.”

Farmers, as well as representatives from Canada’s world class barley breeding programs and grain suppliers, represented the Canadian barley value chain at the seminar.

Meetings were held at Tsingtao Brewery and Hyaline Malting Co., with a concurrent conference. Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 and is ranked in the top five global brewers. Hyaline Malting, a former naval air base turned into a malt processing plant, has supplied Tsingtao Brewery with malt since 2005.

MCA director and wheat and barley crop committee delegate Sheila Elder travelled to Qingdao to represent MCA. She joined two other farmers and a representative from Richardson on a panel discussing the sustainability of Canadian grain production.

Elder was asked about Manitoba’s “much wetter” climate compared to the other two Prairie provinces. “Although the last couple of years have not felt so wet, this year is a different story,” she says.

“This led me to talk about how yield is not our only objective when choosing a variety; we need a variety that has resistance to Fusarium and is not as prone to lodging as earlier varieties were. Fortunately, thanks to our world-class breeders, we have great options to choose from.”

On the theme of collaboration, Elder also highlighted some of the resources farmers have access to in Canada to help them make the best management decisions throughout the growing season. These include access to highly trained experts, such as crop pathologists, entomologists, weed specialists, crop specialists and agronomists, as well as commodity organizations like MCA who have agronomists on staff.

The importance of farmer participation in the seminar was evident. Farmers like Elder could address Chinese maltsters and brewers’ specific questions and concerns about barley production, fostering trust and strengthening the relationship between our two countries.

Sheila also talked about how much pride farmers take in growing the best crops possible, as well as the importance of collaboration within the industry.

At one meeting with brewers, glyphosate came up as a concern. White, who in addition to being chair of CMBTC is also a merchandiser with Viterra, addressed this by explaining how malt barley samples are probed and tested at many different stages, reinforcing how well malt barley is tested for glyphosate.

It was evident to Elder that having many parts of the barley value chain represented at the seminar was important for the Chinese maltsters and brewers. “It was quite clear they value building relationships through face-to-face meetings and would like to see those from the value chain more often.”

With China’s doors open to trade with Australia, the seminar arrived at an important moment. Canada’s barley is well known for its high quality, but that quality comes at a premium, partly due to longer shipping distances and related costs when compared with Australia, for example.

“In today’s competitive global market, seizing opportunities to foster trusted and mutually beneficial relationships at home and around the world is crucial” says CMBTC managing director Peter Watts.

“End users are keenly interested in the systems and standards that distinguish Canada’s barley supply, quality and performance. This seminar was tailored to address the evolving needs and interests of international end users, who seek products that will meet their current and future needs, as well as insights into the Canadian system.”

From left to right: Jon White (Viterra), Sheila Elder (farmer, MCA), Roy (Leroy) Newman (farmer, Alberta Grain), Peter Schutz (Richardson), Peter Watts (CMBTC), Aaron Beattie (University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre), Hayley Stacey (CMBTC), Yueshu Li (CMBTC), Cody Glenn (farmer, SaskBarley), Jackie Oakes (Cargill), Al Morris (independent grain buyer) and Matt Enns (farmer, SaskBarley).

Qingdao (home to Tsingtao Brewery) is where the sailing events were held for the 2008 Olympics. This large, red sculpture symbolizes the Olympic flame.

Japanese delegation visits Manitoba to gain better understanding of Canadian crop production

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

On June 27, a delegation from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) toured Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) director Doug Martin’s farm near East Selkirk, MB. In addition to Martin, MCA was represented during the farm tour by agronomy extension specialist for cereal crops Andrew Hector.

The tour was an excellent learning experience for the Japanese delegation and a great opportunity for MCA to interact directly with representatives from an important market for Manitoba agricultural products.

Members of the Japanese delegation typically communicate with grain buyers or suppliers, who provide them with information about grain quality and production practices, but they don’t often have the chance to interact with farmers. This led them to reach out to Cereals Canada, who then worked with MCA to help facilitate the event. The delegation had a desire to better understand the practices farmers are using firsthand, which is why they valued participating in the farm tour.

During the tour, members of the MAFF group asked specific and pointed questions regarding crop production practices used on the farm. They were also interested in how specific pieces of equipment work, what fungicides are used and at what frequency, and types and timings of fertilizer application. Additionally, there was a strong interest in on-farm grain storage and how the grain is transported to ports.

The MAFF is important in the Japanese market in that they set the contracts and associated terms for wheat importers that the importers then execute. They also control import regulatory tolerances for cereals.

Japan is a longstanding, quality-conscious purchaser of Canadian wheat. According to Cereals Canada, Japan imported an average of 1.62 million tonnes annually from 2018 to 2022, valued at $631 million. Meanwhile, Manitoba-specific data shows Japan is the province’s third-largest wheat export market, with an annual export average of 325,759 tonnes from 2018 to 2022, valued at $127 million.

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