FW's deputy machinery editor Charlie (Cathal) McCarron has been chosen as a Nuffield Scholar. Here he gives an account of his trip to Calgary, Alberta which was the venue chosen for this year's Nuffield Scholar International Briefing:
The first thing that strikes me about Canadian farming is the sheer scale and vastness of the land.
Traveling through Alberta was quite an eye opener for myself, particularly so when you consider that when someone is farming a 50ha farm at home, he is the envy of his neighbors indeed.
One of the first tours we experienced was at the Agrium fertilizer plant in Carseland. The company has been doing some development work with a new product known as ESN (Environmentally Sensitive Nitrogen).
The environmental pressures placed on farming today are immense and it seems that Canada is getting about as tough a time as farming in Ireland. We are currently implementing a new nitrates directive at home and ESN could play a role in our fertilizer application in the future.
We were privileged enough to visit a Hutterite Colony farm as part of our tour. The way these people choose to live may well be scorned upon by some people, but there are lessons that we could apply to our own lives.
It was a stark removal from the TV and computer game orientated world we seem to live in these days.
The Colony farm was spotless, the milking parlor was without doubt the cleanest ever encountered by anyone in our group. This was a dairy inspector's dream farm.
The Australians in our group were impressed with our trips to both Louis Dreyfus and Agricore United later in the week.
To us UK and Australian farmers, the situation Canadian grain farmers are facing is one that we can associate with.
The Canadian Wheat Board scenario of "Should I stay or should I go now" has got the attention of the entire industry.
On a note of caution, when the UK's milk board was disbanded a number of years ago farmers enjoyed a fantastic jump in milk prices, that sustained for about three years and then it all went wrong. Supermarkets gained too strong a hold on the industry and prices have been forced down to depressingly low levels ever since.
Whether or not disbanding the CWB will have the same effect remains to be seen - proceed with caution is my advice.
One of the most topical trips - especially for us Northern Ireland farmers - was the trip to Ranchers Beef abattoir.
It was encouraging seeing how a smaller business was able to adapt and change with the market demands, and encouraging that they were supplying international markets, showing innovation in the process.
However, the use of growth hormones was abundant and that the Canadian consumer was at ease with this practice. In the UK growth hormones are banned and every abattoir tests carcasses for traces of growth promoters.
If Canadian producers ever want to supply the UK market then traceability will have to be sorted out, as will the cattle preparation before entering the killing line. We were astounded at how dirty the cattle were, or as one scholar pointed out "perhaps we are just over doing it on health and safety in the UK?" One for debate...
All in, the trip was a fantastic insight to Canadian agriculture, and Alberta in particular.
Each of the scholars commented how refreshing it was to be travelling in a group of very like-minded people, those who are positive about farming into the future, looking for solutions where others are only too keen to lay down and accept defeat, it was thoroughly invigorating...
Cathal McCarron B.Sc N.Sch
Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
mccarroncathal@yahoo.co.uk
Comments (1)
I think they have a very good point about the state of our cattle on the cattle line. The cattle should be some what clean before they enter the killing line. I don't mean that they should be hosed down and shampooed but some time in a dry corral before being shipped should be a must. Seeing cattle belly deep in mud and manor is a problem. Especially when shipping soon. I understand that alberta can be wet but some thing should be done.
The answer is unclear but we should take some pride in this mannor.
Comment left on March 20, 2007 5:49 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 17:49