MCA News

Manitoba Crop Alliance awards six students with 2022-23 bursaries

mca2022dev on February 16, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) has awarded six students from Manitoba with MCA 2022-23 bursaries valued at $2,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Kaitlyn Christine Hunt-Delaurier from Laurier, Lianne Rouire from Treherne, Milan Lukes from Gunton, Stephanie Manning from Souris, Hannie Peters from Ile Des Chenes, and Alison Manness from La Salle/Domain.

“I would like to congratulate all our 2022-23 bursary winners and thank all the students who applied,” says MCA Chair Robert Misko. “It is clear from the quality of all the bursary applications we received that the future of the agriculture industry in Manitoba is bright.”

MCA established the bursary to assist with the financial needs of students who are enrolled in a post-secondary agricultural program within the province of Manitoba.

Bursary applicants needed to meet the following criteria:

  • Have completed their first or second year of post-secondary education at the college or university level (diploma or degree) and are enrolled full-time for the 2022-23 school year in an agricultural program within the province of Manitoba.
  • Have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
  • Have an interest in wheat (spring or winter), corn, barley, flax or sunflower crops, or agriculture in general, as demonstrated in a brief, one-page letter.
  • Are from a farm that is a member in good-standing of MCA.
  • Have not previously been awarded an MCA Bursary.

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, explanation of why they decided to enroll in an agriculture-related post-secondary program, how they hope to benefit the agriculture industry once they have graduated and are in the workforce, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included James Frey, applied production specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, and Rachel Evans, technical sales manager at FMC Canada for Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan.

For more information about the MCA 2022-23 bursary program and to read biographies of the winners please visit mbcropalliance.ca.

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Manitoba Crop Alliance begins issuing cash advances on winter cereals planted fall 2022

mca2022dev on November 30, 2022

Nov. 30, 2022 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is pleased to announce it has received approval to start issuing cash advances on winter wheat and fall rye planted in fall 2022 through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Advance Payments Program (APP).

The APP is a federal loan program administered by Manitoba Crop Alliance. It offers Canadian farmers marketing flexibility through interest-free and low-interest cash advances. Under the program, eligible farmers are eligible for up to $1,000,000, with the Government of Canada paying the interest on the first $250,000 of the advance for the 2022 and 2023 program years. Funds can be issued in three to five business days once the application process is complete. MCA’s interest rate on interest-bearing cash advances is competitive with major banks and credit unions.

“MCA prides itself on providing friendly, small-town service when farmers apply for and manage their APP cash advance,” says MCA chair Robert Misko. “When a farmer contacts us, our knowledgeable staff walk them through the program and are happy to answer any questions they may have.”

To apply for an advance under the 2023 program year on winter wheat and fall rye planted in fall 2022, farmers can phone MCA’s office at 1-204-745-6661 or toll-free 1-877-598-5685 to request an application form.

MCA also continues to process applications for the 2022 program year on over 35 crop kinds and honey.

“Since 1981, we have offered a competitive option for farmers who are interested in a cash advance through the APP,” says MCA vice-chair Jonothan Hodson. “Our APP clients are extremely important to us, which is why our staff – Tammy Cote and Rae Jackson – regularly go above and beyond to make sure clients receive their advance as quickly as possible.”

If farmers would like to be notified regarding APP-specific information, please email hello@mbcropalliance.ca to be added to the subscriber list. More information on the APP can be found at mbcropalliance.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Darcelle Graham
Chief Operating Officer
Manitoba Crop Alliance
204-745-6661
darcelle@mbcropalliance.ca

Manitoba Crop Alliance announces results of crop committee delegate nominations

mca2022dev on November 2, 2022

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is pleased to announce the results of the nomination process for delegate positions on its four crop committees. The nomination period ran from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30, 2022.

In total, 17 farmer members were nominated for the 17 available delegate positions across the four crop committees and are thereby elected by acclamation. Among those 17 delegates, seven are new to their respective committees and 10 are incumbents.

“As a farmer-driven organization, MCA relies on crop committee delegates to direct our crop-specific activities in research and market development – as well as our Whole Farm Research and Research on the Farm programs – and determine how check-off dollars are best invested,” says MCA CEO Pam de Rocquigny.

“I would like to commend everyone who put their name forward for taking on the responsibility of representing their peers and helping to guide the direction of our industry.”

Corn: Doug Martin (East Selkirk), Jonothan Hodson (Lenore), Richard Dureault (Fannystelle) and Warren McCutcheon (Carman) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions. They will join Carl Bangert (Beausejour), Hubert Preun (St. Andrews) and Emile Morin (Otterburne) to form MCA’s corn committee.

Flax: Darcy Unger (Stonewall), Eric Fridfinnson (Arborg), Leigh Smith (Oak Lake) and Nick Matheson (Stonewall) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions. They will join Dean Buchanan (Crystal City), Lance Bierens (Winnipeg), Jack Hodgson (Roland) and Lorne Johnson (Arborg) to form MCA’s flax committee.

Sunflower: Darcy Watson (Rossendale), Dave Van Buuren (Pipestone), Gregg Fotheringham (Reston) and Mark McDonald (Virden) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions. They will join Edgar Scheurer (Dugald), Korey Peters (Randolph), Myles Kubinec (Holland) and Sally Parsonage (Baldur) to form MCA’s sunflower committee.

Wheat and Barley: Brad Myskiw (Warren), Robert Misko (Roblin), Ryan Hueging (Woodlands), Scott Mowbray (Cartwright) and Wilfred Harder (Lowe Farm) were nominated for the five available crop committee delegate positions. They will join Boris Michaleski (Ashville), Fred Greig (Reston), Josee Saquet (Laurier), Rauri Qually (Dacotah), and Sheila Elder (Wawanesa) to form MCA’s wheat and barley committee.

The new delegates will join their respective committees in January 2023.

MCA would like to thank outgoing delegates Drew Baker (wheat and barley), Gilbert Sabourin (sunflower), Roger Vaags (sunflower) and Andrew Harris (flax) for their service and dedication.

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For more information, please contact:

Pam de Rocquigny
Chief Executive Officer
Manitoba Crop Alliance
204-745-6661
pam@mbcropalliance.ca

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing over 7,300 farmer members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

Manitoba Crop Alliance launches call for special crops research letters of intent

mca2022dev on September 6, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting letters of intent (LOIs) for new sunflower, flax and corn research projects.

“The special crops we represent – sunflower, flax and corn – have unique problems that require unique solutions, which is why this research is so important,” says Katherine Stanley, research program manager for special crops at MCA.

“At the end of the day, our goal for this research is to generate valuable information our farmer members can use to make productive and sustainable decisions on their farms.”

The priorities for MCA special crops research projects are:

  • Applied agronomy research to increase productivity and competitiveness of farmer members
  • Nutrient management
  • Disease management
  • Harvest and residue management

LOIs will be accepted until Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, for projects to begin in 2023. MCA will consider proposals of up to five years in length. Projects must feature sunflower, flax or corn, but inclusion of other crop types (e.g., wheat, canola, soybean, pulses) is encouraged.

To learn more about MCA’s special crops research or to review the LOI eligibility criteria, please visit: https://mbcropalliance.ca/news/special-crops-research-call-for-letters-of-intent.

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For more information, please contact:

Katherine Stanley

Research Program Manager, Special Crops

204.898.4122

katherine@mbcropalliance.ca

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing over 7,800 farmer-members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer-members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

Manitoba Crop Alliance opens nominations to farmer members for crop committees

mca2022dev on September 1, 2022

Sept. 1, 2022 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting nominations from farmer members to serve as delegates on its four crop committees.

“We continue to put our members first and strive to improve the competitiveness of all the crops we represent,” says MCA CEO Pam de Rocquigny.

“As part of our mandate, MCA aims to strengthen the member value of Manitoba’s commodity organizations. By joining a committee, farmer members get a say in how their check-off dollars are best invested.”

MCA delegates will work towards strengthening the mandate of research, agronomy, market development and access, and communication and advocacy initiatives within each of the four crop committees: corn, flax, sunflower, and wheat and barley.

“Our goal is to improve all aspects of crop production and market development,” says de Rocquigny. “As a farmer-driven operation, we are committed to building new connections that offer valuable knowledge and perspectives. It’s an exciting time to get involved, and we look forward to adding some new faces to our committees.”

MCA delegates will develop crop-specific recommendations for research, market development and communications initiatives. They will also have the opportunity for involvement in MCA’s innovative Whole Farm Research Program, a cross-commodity approach to research that addresses the needs of diverse cropping systems across Manitoba.

In addition, serving as a delegate provides a valuable chance to learn more about the Manitoba agriculture industry and the important role farmers play in guiding the industry’s direction.

The nomination period will close at 4:30 p.m. CDT on Oct. 30, 2022. For more information on the nomination or election process – including eligibility requirements, responsibilities of a delegate, time requirements and how to submit a nomination form – visit our website or contact us by email at hello@mbcropalliance.ca or phone at 204-745-6661.

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For more information, please contact:

Pam de Rocquigny
Chief Executive Officer
204-745-6661
pam@mbcropalliance.ca

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing over 7,800 farmer-members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer-members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

MCA issues formal position on regarding regulatory requirements for gene edited crops in Canada

mca2022dev on April 22, 2022

At our AGM earlier this year, a resolution was brought forward regarding regulatory requirements for gene edited crops in Canada.

Specifically, our governance committee requested that MCA clarify its position on how gene editing should be regulated by, and communicated about, by Health Canada, and whether gene edited seed and genetically engineered seeds should follow the same regulations.

Following this resolution, our board got to work on becoming informed on the issue. We consulted with national experts on the issue, including the Canada Grains Council, CropLife Canada, Cereals Canada, Health Canada, and more, and reviewed information available to us. Following this, we developed our own formal position on the topic, which centres around the following core beliefs:

  • Seeds produced using any plant breeding technique, including gene editing, should be subject to science-based regulations and policies related to health and safety.
  • All value chain participants must abide by the appropriate science-based regulations and policies/best management practices when launching products of plant breeding innovations in Canada to our export and domestic markets.
  • All value chain participants, including federal regulatory agencies and seed developers, are fully transparent in implementing regulations around plant breeding technologies, in order to maintain trust and reputation in domestic and global markets.

Furthermore, within our formal position, our board re-iterates that:

  • We recognize the importance of research and innovation to the success of Manitoba farmers, including the area of seed development.
  • We believe variety development and plant breeding innovations will help unlock yield potential for Canadian crops, remove production barriers and help farmers meet sustainability goals
  • We support that all food in Canada – novel or not – should be regulated by the appropriate government agencies in order to ensure its ongoing safety for consumers.

This formal position, approved in April 2022, will be used to guide MCA’s participation in the conversation around the topic going forward, as well as our involvement in any related initiatives.

If you have questions or feedback on this issue, please contact us.

Manitoba Crop Alliance Elects Officer Positions For 2022/23

mca2022dev on March 16, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, March 16,2022 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance is proud to introduce its new board executive for the upcoming year.

Last week, Robert Misko was elected as Chair, Jonothan Hodson was elected as Vice-Chair and Warren McCutcheon was elected as Secretary.

“It is an honour to be elected as chair for the MCA board of directors. I look forward to working with the new and existing directors for the coming year,” says Misko.

“As a representative of the farming community, I believe it is important we build strong connections and work together towards the same goal: to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of spring and winter wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax for Manitoba farmers.”

Misko farms 6,500 acres with his wife and children near Roblin. Misko’s previous and current board experience includes Reeve for the Rural Municipality (RM) of Hillsburg, Association of Manitoba Municipalities director for the Parkland Region, delegate for Manitoba Pool and Agricore, director with one of MCA’s founding organizations(Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association), director for Cereals Canada, and director and research representative for Western Grains Research Foundation. He is currently Head of Council for the RM of Roblin and sits on the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation Board.

Hodson is a fifth-generation farmer from Lenore with a keen interest in on-farm research. His mixed farm features a wide variety of crops in any given year – including spring wheat, canola, soybeans, grain corn, barley, yellow peas and some forage crops – as well as a Black Angus cow/calf operation. Hodson previously served as a director for one of MCA’s founding organizations(Manitoba Corn Growers Association), as well as the Manitoba Angus Association, and he is currently a director for the Valleyview Co-op.

“I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to serve as MCA’s vice-chair,” says Hodson. “MCA is an organization focused on research, with a goal of creating sustainability gains for farmers throughout Manitoba.”

McCutcheon farms with his wife, Meghan, and their two girls near the Carman/Homewood area. He is the third generation on their family farm and alongside his dad, Shawn, grows corn, edible beans, seed soybeans, wheat and canola across 3,000 acres. McCutcheon has previous board experience with one of MCA’s founding organizations (Manitoba Corn Growers Association), as well as the Carman Golf and Curling Club. He also spent 10 years competing at the highest levels of hockey, where he developed the leadership skills he now brings to MCA’s board.

“I am extremely passionate about agriculture and believe we have many challenges facing our industry,” says McCutcheon. “I got involved with MCA to help navigate these issues, so our farms can continue to be successful. I also want to ensure the dollars being contributed by farmers are returning the highest possible value to them.”

For more information about MCA’s Board and Crop Committees, please visit mbcropalliance.ca/about/board-crop-committees.

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About Manitoba Crop Alliance:

Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established August 1, 2020 representing over 9,000 farmer-members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer-members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Pam de Rocquigny
Chief Executive Officer
204-745-6661
pam@mbcropalliance.ca

Manitoba Crop Alliance launches call for Whole Farm Research program letters of intent

mca2022dev on March 14, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 14, 2022 (Carman, MB) – The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting letters of intent (LOIs) for new projects under the Whole Farm Research Program.

The Whole Farm Research program is a whole-farm, cross-commodity approach to research. This research is not crop-specific and leads to innovative solutions that will benefit Manitoba producers now and into the future.

“Now that the Whole Farm Research Program is in its second year, we’re excited to build off the success of last year’s call for proposals and keep growing this important, multi-disciplinary research,” says Katherine Stanley, Research Program Manager, Special Crops at MCA. “This program continues to be driven by the valuable input and carefully considered priorities voiced by Manitoba farmers.”

Whole Farm Research priorities include crop rotation innovation, soil health, cover crop and intercropping, pest management, and water. General principles for MCA funded Whole Farm Research projects are:

  • Innovative and forward-thinking.
  • Designed to answer farmers questions or resolve issues.
  • Solution-oriented, with actionable outcomes that producers can implement in their operations.
  • A pathway to assess and integrate new/next technology into Manitoba cropping systems.
  • Another channel to communicate and collaborate with other organizations, consumers and the public, in Manitoba and across Canada.
  • An opportunity to enhance communication with consumers and the public.

“Not all crop production issues are crop specific, which is why the Whole Farm Research Program is so valuable to Manitoba farmers,” says Boris Michaleski, farmer chair on the Whole Farm Research Committee and director with MCA.

“The cross-commodity or ‘Whole Farm’ research model encourages researchers and organizations Canada-wide to collaborate in unique ways. The goal of this approach is to discover efficiencies and solutions to a variety of issues, making farmers more profitable and sustainable, not only in Manitoba but across Canada.”

LOIs will be accepted until Wednesday, April 13, 2022 for projects to begin in 2023. MCA will consider proposals of up to five years in length related to grain production and value‐added processing. An overriding priority is improving profitability for Manitoba’s barley, corn, flax, wheat and/or sunflower producers.

In 2021, the Whole Farm Research Program’s inaugural year, MCA’s call for LOIs resulted in funding for three projects that will begin in 2022. For more information, please visit our blog.

To learn more about MCA’s Whole Farm Research Program or to review the LOI eligibility criteria, please visit mbcropalliance.ca/projects/whole-farm-research.

For more information, please contact:

Katherine Stanley

Research Program Manager, Special Crops

204-898-4122

katherine@mbcropalliance.ca

Manitoba Crop Alliance Launches 2022 Advance Payments Program

mca2022dev on March 1, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, March 1, 2022 (Carman, MB) – The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting applications for the 2022 Advance Payments Program (APP), with funds to be issued starting April 1, 2022.

The APP is a federal loan program administered by MCA on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). It offers Canadian farmers marketing flexibility through interest-free and low-interest cash advances, allowing them to sell their agricultural products based on market conditions rather than the need for cash flow.

“The APP is a valuable resource for farmers across Manitoba,” says Pam de Rocquigny, CEO of MCA. “We are proud to provide personalized, friendly, small-town service to all our APP clients to make their experience with the program as smooth as possible.”

MCA provides cash advances on over 35 different crop kinds, including cereals, grain corn, oilseed crops, pulses, speciality crops, hay and grasses, and honey. Farmers can access up to $1 million per program year in advances based on the value of their agricultural product.

AAFC pays the interest on the first $100,000 advanced to a producer. For interest-bearing cash advances, MCA’s interest rate is competitive with major banks and credit unions.

“As an APP administrator for more than 40 years, MCA is committed to offering the exceptional level of service our clients have come to expect,” says de Rocquigny. “This commitment is fully defined in our APP Service Standards, which are available on our website.”

For more information about the APP – including 2022 application forms, rates and fees, and important dates and deadlines – visit mbcropalliance.ca.

For more information:

Cole Christensen

Communications Manager

403-589-3529

cole@mbcropalliance.ca

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020 representing over 9,000 farmer-members. MCA puts its farmer-members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization. We do this by investing farmer levy dollars into meaningful, independent research, valuable knowledge and targeted advocacy. Through these investments, we can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

 

Manitoba Crop Alliance Welcomes New Board Of Directors

mca2022dev on February 17, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 (Carman, MB) – Effective immediately after the conclusion of the Manitoba Crop Alliance’s (MCA) 2022 annual general meeting, there will be a few new faces representing Manitoba farmers at a provincial and national level.

Today MCA officially introduced its 2022 board of directors, including three new members: Carl Bangert (Beausejour), RauriQually, (Dacotah) and Boris Michaleski (Ashville). Bangertis an existing delegate of the Corn Committee, while Qually and Michaleski are delegates of the Wheat and Barley Committee.

The new directors join eight returning directors, including:

  • Jonothan Hodson (Lenore) – Corn Committee
  • Warren McCutcheon (Carman) – Corn Committee
  • Gregg Fotheringham (Reston) – Sunflower Committee
  • Mark McDonald (Virden) – Sunflower Committee
  • Eric Fridfinnson (Arborg) – Flax Committee
  • Nick Matheson (Stonewall) – Flax Committee
  • Robert Misko (Roblin) – Wheat and Barley Committee
  • Ryan Hueging (Woodlands) – Wheat and Barley Committee

Each of the new directors were elected from their respective crop committees during meetings held in January. Together, the new board will be tasked with carrying out the organization’s 2022 strategic plan, revolving around a central goal of maximizing farmer levy dollars by investing in meaningful, independent research, valuable knowledge and targeted advocacy, says Chief Executive Officer Pam de Rocquigny.

“Our strategic plan features five objectives to meet our overall organizational goals, as well as a strong focus on meaningful and measurable goals,” she says. “Having a strong plan in place is the first step towards achieving real results for our farmers and I am excited to have a new board – including new faces, perspectives and areas of passion – in place to drive this plan forward. It’s going to be a great year for MCA and Manitoba farmers.”

The 2022 strategic plan is available here.

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