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JULY 2002: EPISODES 1012 - 1035

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UBC Animal Welfare Expert Urges Canada to Consider Animal Welfare Audits
Farmscape for July 31, 2002 (Episode 1035)

A University of British Columbia animal welfare expert is encouraging Canada's livestock industry to look for ways to demonstrate that accepted animal welfare standards are being followed.  Last month the US based Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants released their first set of guidelines for the treatment and handling of animals used for food.  Animal Welfare Professor Dr. David Fraser, who participated in the process as an advisor, says these new US standards are similar to Canadian codes of practice.  He says the big difference is US retail companies want to assure their customers these standards are being followed.

Clip-Dr. David Fraser-University of British Columbia
Canada for a long time has had these voluntary codes but there's no audit component and no one knows the percentage of producers who are complying.  The US started way behind Canada so they went from nothing to having standards with an audible component.  Switching from a voluntary to an audible type of standard in Canada will now be quite a psychological adjustment, I think, for Canadian agriculture because we have had something quite different.  The details aren't different but the auditing component is going to be a new element for Canadian agriculture.  I certainly think Canadian agriculture should be thinking strongly and clearly in terms of how to demonstrate to the public and to their corporate customers that the standards they espouse are actually being followed.

Dr. Fraser says how that should be done is a difficult issue.  He suggests the obvious possibility is some kind of on farm quality assurance program similar to what is being done already for certain aspects of food safety that contains animal welfare standards.  He says that would be a good basis to start from but there may also be other ways of achieving this.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Improved Productivity Reduces Livestock's Environmental Impact
Farmscape for July 30, 2002 (Episode 1034)

A beef industry study, conducted on behalf of the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, shows productivity improvements in both crops and livestock have dramatically reduced the impact of agriculture on the environment.  The study was conducted by Livestock Technologies Services for use in directing future research and is similar to studies done 10 years ago for dairy, poultry, swine, soybeans and corn.  Jim Dalrymple says improved feed conversion has slashed the time it takes to finish an animal while improved crops yields have reduced the amount of land required to produce the feed for that animal.

Clip-Jim Dalrymple-Livestock Technologies Services
I have reports back to 1900 that indicated that it was in the neighborhood of ten pounds of feed to put on a pound of gain and reports of the breeds that were common then going to market at three years of age.  This has improved dramatically.  You can take an average daily gain, which used to occur at 1.5 pound per day, to put on 500 pounds of grain in a feedlot animal would take 333 days.  Today, for example, three pounds per day is realistic so, to put on that same amount of gain, you're looking 167 days for that amount of gain.  In 1950 corn production in Ontario averaged a little under 50 bushels per acre.  The year 2000 production was 112 bushels per acre so, if you look at the figures, we're using far less land to produce the feed to put on a unit of gain in the cattle industry.  Of course this would apply to poultry and pigs as well.

Dalrymple says these productivity improvements translate into tremendous environmental benefits.  He says reducing the time an animal stays on the farm means it consumes less feed and water and produces less manure.  He says, with some of the environmental concerns such as those related to the production of greenhouse gases, these productivity improvements are a definite plus.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
 

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New Study Examines Tool Spacing for Liquid Swine Manure Application
Farmscape for July 29, 2002 (Episode 1033)

A tool spacing study, underway at the Brandon Research Center, will hopefully lead to the development of standard recommendations for the application of liquid swine manure.  The two year study is being conducted by the University of Manitoba and the Brandon Research Center with funding from the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative.  Integrated Agricultural Management Specialist Dr. Katherine Buckley says scientists are examining manure applications spaced at one foot, two feet and three feet and are focusing on nitrogen and phosphorus.

Clip-Dr. Katherine Buckley-Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
Right now there is no standard for opener spacing.  It can be anywhere from 12 inches to 36 inches so nutrient distribution is going to play a huge role in the ability of the crop to extract those nutrients efficiently from the soil.  Nutrients that are not removed by the crop remain in the soil and, if you continue to apply manure year after year on the same site, you could possibly increase the residual nutrients in the soil.  We're looking at movement of nitrogen in the soil and basically we want to see whether the effect of tool spacing has any effect on yield and plant production characteristics.  Certainly some of these nutrients will be scavenged the next year by the plant but then you are going to have uneven distribution of phosphorus which tends to remain pretty much where you placed it.  Ideally it would be better to place that phosphorus where the plant can access it and utilize it that year of application.

Dr. Buckley says the goal is recommend standardized manure delivery systems that will allow crops to utilize nutrients in the best possible way.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Early Harvest Reports from Ontario Indicate Low Fusarium Levels in Wheat
Farmscape for July 26, 2002 (Episode 1032)

The Canadian Grain Commission reports early indications from the Ontario wheat harvest are that the levels of fusarium infection are low and feed quality looks good.  Farmers in Ontario are now into the second to third week of harvesting fall planted wheat crops.  Traditionally the harvest begins in the southwest corner of Ontario in Essex County around Windsor and then progresses east and north.  Bayport Regional Director Jim Lowe says samples of several types of wheat, including white winter wheat and soft red winter wheat, have been received and most have been grading one or two...an indication the kernels are sound.

Clip-Jim Lowe-Canadian Grain Commission
To this point, most of the samples tested so far are below the detection level for vomitoxin so below .5 parts per million.  We have had a couple of samples where the fusarium damage has been closer to the one per cent limit that we have and the vomitoxin levels have been increased approaching the two parts per million but in some cases there's actually no visible fusarium in the samples.  The others there may be the odd kernel here and there but test wise most to date, and I have to stress that we have seen samples from most of the areas that are into harvesting, but from those we have seen really nothing significant in the way of fusarium.

Lowe says, in any year, it is common in Ontario to find patches here and there where fusarium infection tends to run high.  He says there has been little sign of sprouting but protein levels are running a little lower than last year averaging about the mid nine per cent level but there has been quite a range...anywhere from 7.9 to 13 per cent.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Changing European Attitudes Offer Hope for Expanded Canadian Farm Exports
Farmscape for July 25, 2002 (Episode 1031)

The Canadian Pork Council says changing attitudes in the European Union toward the distribution of agricultural subsidies offers hope for increased Canadian food exports down the road.  The European Commission is proposing a system that will replace agriculture subsidies linked to production with provisions that will reward farmers who focus more on the environment, animal welfare and food safety.  The hope is that a new agriculture policy will be in place before the E-U expands in 2004.  Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Martin Rice says the commission has put forward some fairly dramatic proposals and it will be looking for the support of EU member nations.

Clip-Martin Rice-Canadian Pork Council
These proposals would have the common agricultural policy operate much more neutrally towards agricultural production.  It would have subsidies going out more to farms that are in greater need and less money paid out directly on a commodity basis and also have programs that will operate more to address environmental and welfare and other issues that exist in the community.  We have seen a quite a considerable amount of adjustment in the European attitude and we've already seen a fair bit of progress in them putting limitations on export subsidies.  European agriculture has definitely made a turn away from being purely production expansion driven by subsidies and less affected by production subsidies.

Rice suggests the proposed changes offer long term hope for increased Canadian access to the European market.  He points out the changes will take a fair bit of time, perhaps a couple of years, to be adopted by member states and then another two, three or four years to be implemented and start impacting trade.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Manitoba Pork Council Endorses Direction of Livestock Stewardship Plan
Farmscape for July 24, 2002 (Episode 1030)

The Chair of Manitoba Pork Council is optimistic the province's planned changes to the intensive livestock development approval process will help avoid much of the confrontation that the tends to be created under the existing process.  The Manitoba government unveiled plans earlier this week to establish a standard review process for intensive livestock development applications, set provincial setback and separation standards and require municipalities to implement development plans which will include a livestock operation policy.  Marcel Hacault says Pork Council was looking for a predictable process where the roles and responsibilities of the province, the municipality and the proponent would all be identified and it appears the changes will do that.

Clip-Marcel Hacault-Manitoba Pork Council
They're asking the municipalities to put development plans in place identifying areas that would be prohibited, restricted or permitted so that, when somebody wants to build a barn, the choice of whether this barn gets accepted or not will have already been made with the development of the development plan and the plan areas.  My hope is that when the community and the municipality develop their development plans that that's where all the input will happen and it will happen in a consensus form rather than in a confrontational form.  The current approval process is very much confrontational and doesn't help any of the partners.  My hope would be that the development of a development plan would bring everyone together and together they would decide where development occurs in their municipality.

Hacault admits many of the province's hog farmers are a little disappointed with the timing of the changes.  He says it had been hoped the changes would be in place in time for this building season.  However, he says, while the timing is a concern, the direction being taken is right.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Saskatchewan Agrivision Reports Confidence in Agriculture is Improving
Farmscape for July 24, 2002 (Episode 1029)

The Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation says, despite the ongoing drought, there's a growing feeling that the crisis being faced by the province's agriculture sector has turned the corner.  The Agrivision Corporation is sponsoring a province wide radio campaign featuring a series of two minute vignettes which relate to four one hour specials that highlight success stories in rural Saskatchewan.  The campaign was launched this spring and will continue until next March.  Agrivision Executive Director Al Scholz says the response to the series has been excellent.

Clip-Al Scholz-Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation
The vignettes are two minutes and they're tangible examples of what people have done in order to spark people's interests in considering their own operation and what they might do.  These are examples such as how to get into marketing alliances and how value chains actually work.  The theme is "Growing the Future" so we're looking at the various ways that rural and agricultural enterprises are growing the future through various aspects of adding value and there's various ways of doing that.  It's meant to highlight some of the innovative things that certain producers are doing around the province just to spark people to think about what they might do in their own operations.  We talk more about concepts with some specific examples, really just to peak people's interests.

Scholz says, even though the province is still experiencing a drought, the sense is that many rural communities have turned the corner.  He says communities and individuals across Saskatchewan are looking at opportunities and are starting to recognize the huge potential across the prairie region.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Manitoba Proposes Changes to Livestock Approval Process
Farmscape for July 23, 2002 (Episode 1028)

The Manitoba government is proposing several changes to the municipal livestock development approval process in an effort to bring more clarity, consistency and predictability to land use decision making.  Yesterday the provincial government unveiled the latest developments in its efforts to create a sustainable intensive livestock industry.  Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean Friesen says the majority of Manitoba municipalities now have development plans and the province is asking the municipalities to amend those plans.

Clip-Jean Friesen-Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs Minister
We are asking now that those development plans prepare and adopt a revision which will include a livestock operation policy so they won't be dealing with livestock requests, whether it's from existing farmers within the municipality or those that might want to come in from elsewhere, on an ad hoc basis.  They'll have a plan in place in advance.  Then what we want to do is to propose some provincial standards for the sighting and setback and separation distances that municipalities will use in livestock operation decision making.  Those will be provincial standards and they will be very similar to the existing farm practices guidelines.  It will give some certainty and consistency across the province but we also want to make sure that municipalities have the ability to vary those standards within a range.  We are proposing to introduce a standard review process for livestock operations so that all livestock operations 300 animal units or greater will require public notice, a local hearing and a technical review committee report for the municipalities to make a decision.

Friesen says there's a good deal of work to be done over the next 18 to 24 months as municipalities across the province review and revise their development plans and the handful of municipalities that don't have plans put them in place.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Sask Pork Begins On Farm Audits of Its CQA Performance
Farmscape for July 23, 2002 (Episode 1027)

Sask Pork has moved into the third phase of an audit designed to help earn Canadian Food Inspection Agency recognition of the Canadian Quality Assurance program.  An independent auditor, commissioned by Sask Pork, is evaluating the national CQA program and the organization's performance in helping hog producers prepare for participation.  Sask Pork National Services Coordinator Catriona Shinkewski says auditors have moved into the "on farm" phase where they're visiting a random sampling of farms.

Clip-Catriona Shinkewski-Sask Pork
The auditor will conduct a visit similar to a full validation.  They will meet with the producer, go through the unit, ask them a few questions about the program and they will encourage producers at that time to discuss any concerns or comments they have about the program.  What we're hoping to gain from that is an idea of how well the program is working at the farm level.  The audit is basically to look at the program itself and whether or not it's actually working on farm.  Part of the audit was the "in-office" audit which looked at whether or not Sask Pork was administering the program to its full potential and that has now been completed.  We are in the process of having some on farm visits and what our auditor is looking at there is how the program is being implemented at the farm level.  He's also going to be bringing back some comments about the program from producers which will then be sent off in a report to the Canadian Pork Council.  What we're going to be using the audit for is, we're trying to get CFIA recognition in the next year of the program and the internal audit is one of the components required for this recognition.

Shinkewski says the auditors full report is due by September 6th so the "on farm" audits will need to be completed by about the middle of next month.  She expects to have a better idea of how well Sask Pork is administering the Canadian Quality Assurance program and how well the program is performing on farm when that report is complete.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Comment Period For International Feeding Regulations Underway
Farmscape for July 22, 2002 (Episode 1026)

The Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on feeding will hold two comment periods on proposed feed manufacturing regulations between now and March in an effort to have new rules in place before it disbands next June.  The task force was established in 2000 and given four years to develop an international code of practice for animal feed production and animal feeding practices.  Last month a proposed set of standards was released and Canada is heading up the drafting committee which will gather public input and incorporate that feedback into the regulations.  Judy Thompson, the head of Canada's Codex delegation, says the first of two comment periods is now underway and people have until the first week of September to express their views on the proposal.

Clip-Judy Thompson-Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The most important aspects of the code deal with the production, storage and distribution of feed and feed ingredients.  It gives guidelines on the types of buildings, equipment, procedures you would use to make sure the food you manufactured was safe and wouldn't have a negative impact on the safety of animal products.  Also, there's a section on on farm production and use of feeds which talks about pasture manure, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and keeping records of where products are used.  Those are probably the two most important aspects and then the third one would probably be the sampling and analysis method which is kind of the final stage of verifying that the system is working properly.

Thompson says suggestions will be incorporated into the document then a second comment period will allow for feedback on the revised regulations.  She says having two rounds of comments prior to the task force's next meeting in March 2003 is to allow people a higher degree of comfort with the document and allow it to move through the process quickly....before the task force disbands.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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HACCP Identified as Canadian Quality Assurance Programs's Main Strength
Farmscape for July 19, 2002 (Episode 1025)

Officials of the Canadian Quality Assurance program say the role of HACCP in the Canadian pork industry's on farm food safety program has been one of the initiative's biggest strengths.  Last March a delegation representing the Canadian Pork Council and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada toured Europe to examine on farm food safety.  The group looked at on farm hog programs in Denmark, the Netherlands and England and at broader food safety programs in Switzerland and Germany.  CQA National Coordinator Dawn LeBlanc says there had been concern Canada's late start in developing a program would be a detriment but it's actually turned out to be a benefit.

Clip-Dawn LeBlanc-Canadian Pork Council
At the time the Europeans, particularly the Danes, the Dutch and the British, were developing their on farm programs they were developing very broad based programs that were largely based on public opinion and concerns from consumers and retailers, where as we didn't have that type of pressure.  We were able to base our program on the HACCP system which, by the time we started building our program, was well recognized and accepted around the world.  It wasn't an accepted program at the time the Europeans began developing theirs.  One of the strong points we have for our program is we were able to approach on farm food safety from a very scientific point of view and stay very focused on food safety concerns rather than going into some of the welfare and environmental concerns that the Europeans are trying to handle all in one program.

LeBlanc the strength of the European programs, particularly in Denmark and the Netherlands where producer participation runs from 80 to 90 per cent, is their very strong structures.  She says strong support and advisory systems with excellent lines of communication have helped producers implement the programs.  She says the Pork Council will assess those systems further to determine what can be incorporated in the Canadian program.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
 

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Research Prompts Changes in Manure Application Frequency
Farmscape for July 18, 2002 (Episode 1024)

Data collected as part of an Agriculture and Agrifood Canada study in South Central Saskatchewan is prompting scientists to reduce the volume of manure they apply at one time to farm land.  The project, which began in 1998 near Rosetown, compares crop response to commercial fertilizer with the response of crops to liquid swine manure applied at rates sufficient to meet their nutrient requirements for three years.  During the study, which has now completed its first cycle, crops that received the manure outyielded those that received the commercial fertilizer...especially during the first year.  PRFA District Soil Conservationist Dennis Haak says, while the crops responded well to the manure, the high application rates have created some concerns.

Clip-Dennis Haak-Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (PFRA)
We would do some soil sampling in the fall to see if the nutrients were being used up.  What we found, and this is kind of understandable because the second and third year were quite dry, a lot of nutrients weren't being used up so there are some carry over nutrients that are left over in the soil.  Some of those nutrients have moved down a little bit in the soil profile.  A lot of them are below the six inch depth, down as far as maybe 24 inches in some cases.  This is land that had never had manure before and we're in the process now of putting manure on for the second time.  One of the implications is, that maybe we don't put on a three year supply of manure...we maybe just put on a two year supply so that there's a greater chance for the crop to use up the nutrients before they start moving down in the soil profile.

Haak says most of the nutrients are still within the root zone of most crops but the Rosetown area is still in a drought situation so a good wet year will be needed to use those unused nutrients.  He says, down the road, there may be a situation where researchers will need to consider growing a deep rooted crop to recover some of those nutrients.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Codex Steps Up Efforts to Finalize International Livestock Feeding Standards
Farmscape for July 17, 2002 (Episode 1023)

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is stepping up its efforts to finalize international standards for animal feed production and feeding.  Codex was formed in 1963 to develop international food standards and guidelines designed to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade in food.  Since June 2000 its Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding has been focusing on animal feed production and feeding standards.  Judy Thompson, the head of the Canadian delegation, says, once comments on the task force's latest report are received, Canada will lead a drafting group which will finalize the document.

Clip-Judy Thompson-Canadian Food Inspection Agency
There's a number of issues around antibiotic use, products of biotechnology, tracability that are quite sticky.  There's also a desire within the task force to look at elements other than food safety such as environmental impact and animal health.  Unfortunately the codex mandate doesn't allow for that.  What Canada will do is take the comments from the various governments and try to incorporate those into the sections on feed manufacturing and on farm production.  The report from the meeting just came out last week.  People have until the first week of September to provide comments and the drafting group will get the comments along with the revised document, try to massage things a bit so that it reflects all of those comments and that document will be sent out for an additional round of comments prior to the March 2003 meeting.  The whole purpose of that is to expedite the passage of this particular document through the codex system.

Thompson says typically nations that want to export food will incorporate codex requirements into their national requirements so the new standards likely will be adopted, at some level, by the Canadian government.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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New Animal Welfare Standards Expand Slaughter Plant Audits
Farmscape for July 16, 2002 (Episode 1022)

An internationally renowned animal behavior expert says standardized guidelines adopted by American grocers and restaurateurs will expand the number of US slaughter plants audited for animal welfare.  Last month the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute released their first set of standardized animal welfare guidelines.  Colorado State University Associate Animal Science Professor Dr. Temple Grandin wrote the 1997 American Meat Institute document which set standards for US slaughter plants.  Those standards were adopted, as written, as part of the new FMI-NCCR standards.  Dr. Grandin says audits conducted by companies like McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King have led to substantial improvements at US slaughter plants.

Clip-Dr. Temple Grandin-Colorado State University
In the meat packing plants the audits have already been taking place so probably FMI and NCCR are just going to help maintain what is already going on and they are going to pick up some smaller plants.  There's a number of small slaughter plants that are not being audited now because they're too small to sell to the large hamburger restaurants.  When FMI starts doing audits they'd be audited.  There's been great improvements in the slaughter plants since McDonald's started doing their auditing in 1999.  For a long time, people kind of ignored that end of the plant and having restaurant companies out there auditing it has brought about great improvements.  Some of the good news is that a lot of these improvements just required better management and small changes.  They did not require a lot of big capital improvements.

Dr. Grandin says the animal welfare issue is not going away so it's a matter of coming up with reasonable animals welfare standards that are sensible, practical and economical.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane

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New Manure Treatment Technology Promised in Six Months
Farmscape for July 15, 2002 (Episode 1021)

A Saskatoon based company is promising commercial scale application of a new liquid swine manure treatment technology within the next six months.  The process was developed by Systems Ecotechnologies with funding provided by the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative and it was unveiled to the public at three demonstration sites in Manitoba this spring.  The system uses inorganic, non-hazardous chemicals to separate manure into three streams...ammonia in solution and a nutrient rich solid for use as fertilizer and clear water.  Dr. G. Lakshman says additional demonstrations are planned for Ontario and Saskatchewan and steps are being taken to automate the technology.

Clip-Dr. G. Lakshman-Systems Ecotechnologies
First we are evaluating the chemical data we have collected from the three demonstration sites.  We have made a lot of improvements in the process itself and, in the next few days, we will be hiring the necessary consulting people who can advise us on automating the system.  We have been asked by a large number of hog operators when the technology would be ready for actual implementation and we have promised them that we will be doing it six months time.  We have to get very busy getting the system automated and, once it is done, the blueprint for the automated system will be developed and we will be implementing the full scale system from there.

In addition to breaking the manure into three streams, the technology reduces odor, eliminates the production of greenhouse gases and eliminates the presence of E. Coli.  Dr. Lakshman says the first full scale commercial systems will be installed at two or three sites in Manitoba...including one new barn and one or two existing barns.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Water Use Study Comparing Consumption by Swine to Human Consumption
Farmscape for July 12, 2002 (Episode 1020)

A water usage study underway in Ontario is assessing the volumes of water used within the swine industry for comparison to the volumes used by humans.  The project is being conducted by Brighton, Ontario based Livestock Technologies Services and involves a pulling together of data gathered from work done at several locations.  Livestock Consultant Jim Dalrymple says the goal is to gather up to date figures on animal numbers and get a sense of what's happening and look at water consumption in the pork industry verses human consumption.

Clip-Jim Dalrymple-Livestock Technologies Services
Water has been a neglected resource, I think, in all of agriculture not just in the livestock sector but also in how we use it to irrigate crops whether it be horticulture or grain crops.  It is going to become, I think, as we are all aware around the world a somewhat limited resource in the next 20 to 30 years.  I'm looking at the water utilization in the pork industry.  I think, today, most of our livestock operations although they're becoming larger are also adopting technologies that are looking at improved water use.  For example the pork industry is looking at wet dry feeder systems verses a dry system which apparently will reduce the manure storage capacity and the manure produced by 30 per cent.  There's a lot of interesting things happening.  Of course, the more feed an animal eats, the more water it's going to consume so, if we can improve the feed efficiency, we're going to reduce the water requirements and this is going to benefit the environment and production.

Dalrymple says a recent environmental commission report implied the animal agriculture industry in Ontario and Quebec produced more waste than 100 million people.  He considers that an unrealistic estimate.  He says we know a pig consumes anywhere from five to 11 litres of water per day, while a human may use up to 227 litres per day when you consider total use.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Manure Fertilizers Impact Crop Uptake of Cadmium
Farmscape for July 10, 2002 (Episode 1018)

An Agriculture and Agrifood Canada study underway at the Brandon Research Centre indicates the uptake of cadmium by crops fertilized with liquid swine manure will be lower than by crops fertilized with composted beef manure.  Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which accumulates at low levels in crops like flax and durum wheat prompting the establishment of international limits on cadmium.  Integrated Agricultural Management Specialist Dr. Katherine Buckley says the Brandon study follows up on European research which suggests farm yard manure can render cadmium less available to plants by binding it to organic matter.

Clip-Dr. Katherine Buckley-Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
The primary focus of this study was to look at the effect of organic amendment, more specifically liquid swine manure and composted beef cattle manure, on the uptake of cadmium by flax which is a cadmium accumulator and also durum wheat which accumulates cadmium to a lesser extent.  Our initial findings have been that the liquid swine manure treatment actually decreased the amount of cadmium taken up by flax and wheat.  However the composted beef cattle nutrient increased cadmium uptake in flax and durum wheat.  We know that flax and wheat metabolize cadmium very differently.  They take it up and it's translocated to the rest of the plant by a very different mechanism.  As yet, we don't know too much about it other than we know nitrogen, its availability and rate of release has probably got something to do with the uptake of cadmium by these two plants.

Dr. Buckley suspects the higher cadmium uptake by crops fertilized with the composted cattle manure could have something to do with the fertilizer's slow release of nitrogen.  She says researchers don't have enough data to be certain whether the difference in the two manures is statistically significant but researchers will be doing further investigation.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Prairie Feed Resource Centre Scientists Explore Feed Potential of Oats
Farmscape for July 9, 2002 (Episode 1017)

Researchers at the Prairie Feed Resource Centre in Saskatoon are confident oats can be developed as a superior feed ingredient capable of competing with other commonly used feed crops such as corn.  The Prairie Feed Resource Centre is part of the University of Saskatchewan's Department of Animal and Poultry Science and it focuses on improving the feed quality of prairie grown crops such as oats, barley and peas.  Executive Director Vernon Racz says oats offer a range of agronomic benefits and researchers are currently looking at different strains in an effort to develop a feed variety of oat that has a much higher energy density and one which has a digestible hull.

Clip-Vernon Racz-Prairie Feed Resource Centre
That promises to be something that is quite good simply because oats are a low input crop which is advantageous for people to grow.  Yields are quite substantial with oats as compared to many other cereal grains.  In addition the slower degrading fibre in the hull, if we can get it to be digestible it'll not only contribute to energy but it contributes energy within the oat grain itself in a much different way.  In other words, it probably will be less prone to acidosis than would be that extra energy coming out of barley which basically comes out of some very rapidly degraded starch.  Hopefully, at some point in time, we're going to wind up with an oat which will have greater energy density than a barley grain for instance, and perhaps maybe just slightly under corn.

Racz points out corn remains the standard by which other feeds are measured.  He says corn is already a highly digestible feed and additional advances are improving that crops digestibility and energy density making it an extremely competitive crop.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Study Shows Manure Fertilizer Offers Economic Advantage Over Commercial Fertilizer
Farmscape for July 8, 2002 (Episode 1016)

An Agriculture and Agrifood Canada study in West Central Saskatchewan has shown the use of manure fertilizer can provide a substantial economic benefit compared to commercial fertilizer.  The demonstration was set up at four sites where new swine barns had been established but where very little manure had been used previously to demonstrate the nutritive value of hog manure.  The study began in 1998 and has now completed its first cycle.  PRFA District Soil Conservationist Dennis Haak says, at each site, a single three year supply of manure was applied to two plots for comparison to a commercial fertilizer treatment.

Clip-Dennis Haak-Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (PFRA)
In the first year the crop really responded with a higher yield and in some cases better crop quality.  In that first year the nutrient levels were high and we also had good moisture conditions.  That was the year, 1999.  The next two years were quite bit drier and a couple of our sites still managed to produce not too bad of a crop but we also had a couple of sites that produced very little and in those years we did still find a slight increase in yield with the manure compared to the fertilizer but it was much much smaller than the first year.  The first year it was quite a large yield advantage with manure because of all that moisture that was available.  In the second and third year, with it being very dry, the moisture was the main limiting factor so there was very little yield difference...in some cases just a slight yield increase with the manured treatment.

Haak says, despite the dry conditions in the second and third year, the manure still provided an economic benefit.  He says one reason is the nominal cost of manure, usually around ten to 15 dollars per acre, compared 30 to 40 dollars for commercial fertilizer.  He says the big yield increase during the first year also contributed to the economic benefit.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Concern Over US Slaughter Capacity Pressures Canadian Weanling Market
Farmscape for July 5, 2002 (Episode 1015)

Manitoba Agriculture and Food reports concerns over a lack of fourth quarter American slaughter capacity is pressuring the price of Canadian weanling pigs moving south for finishing.  Over the past three to four years lower feed costs in states like Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota have attracted increasing numbers of those early weaned ten pound Canadian pigs for finishing.  Provincial Market Analysis and Statistics Branch Manager Janet Honey says, recently, Canadian weanling producers who don't already have US contacts have had trouble finding markets.

Clip-Janet Honey-Manitoba Agriculture and Food
People that are selling their weanlings on a cash basis or producers that have built barns and are looking for new weanling contracts have been having difficulty finding markets for their animals or getting contracts signed with US feeding operations.  That's probably due to the fact that a lot of American hog producers do not want to finish extra animals in the fourth quarter.  There has been concern there will be an increased supply of hogs being marketed in the fourth quarter and the analysts are not sure whether the slaughter capacity in the US will be sufficient to kill all of these hogs.  Producers are concerned that they may see a repetition of the fourth quarter 98 when slaughter prices dropped to next to nothing.  Those feeding operations are not looking to sign new contracts with early weaning operations in Manitoba particularly if those animals will be finished in the fourth quarter.

Honey says a survey conducted over the past couple of weeks shows producers with long term contracts are generally finding those contracts are being honored but new contracts have been hard to come by.  She says it looks like the lower slaughter prices will continue into the first half of next year so US feeders may not be willing to pay high prices for Canadian weanlings for at least the next six months.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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Producer Support for Standard Animal Welfare Guidelines Building
Farmscape for July 3, 2002 (Episode 1013)

The National Council of Chain Restaurants says producer support for the introduction of standardized animal welfare guidelines has been growing steadily.  Last week the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute released their first set of guidelines for the treatment and handling of animals used for food.  The new guidelines deal with everything from breeding and rearing to handling and transportation to slaughter practices.  NCCR President Terrie Dort says producer awareness that the guidelines are out there and recognition of the need for everyone to follow the standards has increased significantly over the past year.

Clip-Terrie Dort-National Council of Chain Restaurants
Perhaps when we started there was concern that this was being imposed on them by their customers but, in fact, when they recognized that we wanted to sit down and work with them in a cooperative fashion and help put some of these guidelines in place, I think, there was much more acceptance.  The producers are now well aware that the customers are really demanding some of these changes.  Again, most of the things that we're dealing with were already in place.  It was really more a matter of whether they were being universally distributed, whether the actual farmers were aware of them and whether they were being followed.  Many of these producer organizations have been working for many many years on research to deal with some of the more contentious issues.  It wasn't like we started with a clean slate and there was nothing out there.  That's absolutely not the case.  In fact, the American Meat Institute was well along and has very good slaughter guidelines in place that they've been developing for years.

Dort points out the FMI-NCCR report goes hand in hand with guidelines developed by each producer group.  She says, between now and the end of the year, the two organizations will be finalizing outstanding issues with livestock commodity groups that have not yet completed the process.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane

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Feed Availability Squeeze Shows No Sign of Improvement
Farmscape for July 2, 2002 (Episode 1012)

Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food reports feed availability across the prairies remains limited with no indication the situation is ready to improve.  Feed industry development specialist Murray Feist says the feed shortage across the prairies is primarily a reflection of drought, with pockets where the problem is too much moisture and that's being reflected back in increased prices.

Clip-Murray Feist-Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The feeds affected are mainly the forages...the grasses, the alfalfas.  The greenfeeds aren't too bad but, what we're seeing is compared to last year especially, a lot of cereal crops that were going to be harvested weren't going to make the cut or weren't going to make the grade and were harvested then as a greenfeed.  Forages that are available have been, in some ways reflective of drought conditions or dry conditions and they've been sort of emergency feeds such as harvested greenfeeds.  The grains have also shown significant reduced yields and that has been primarily due to drought and dry conditions or, in some cases of the prairies, flooding.  Regions that are affected by the dry conditions in Saskatchewan are primarily from about Saskatoon west to the border, Northwest Saskatchewan and that's reached out into the central part and down to almost Regina country.  The areas that have been receiving rain, I've heard that they've been doing all right when it comes to forage growth and to some crop growth but that depends again on the local regions.  In some parts, when you get into the Southeastern part of Saskatchewan and down into that corner where Saskatchewan and Manitoba meet, I have heard of reports where there is high water levels and potentially could be some problems with too much water.

Feist says the main species we grow on the prairies are the cattle and the hogs, which are the most affected by the limited supplies but we also can't forget about the sheep and the horses and their feed requirements.  For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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