By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Friday November 27, 2020

Nov 27, 2020 | 2:06 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – A key builder of Canada ‘s half billion-dollar pulse crop industry is being admitted to the Order of Canada.

Agriculture pioneer Dr. Alfred Slinkard was recruited from the University of Idaho to the newly created Crop Development Centre of the University of Saskatchewan in 1972.

As plant breeder he developed the varieties Laird in 1978 and Eston in 1980. Laird quickly became the most widely grown and recognized lentil in the world. By 1990 Canada overtook both Turkey and the United States as major supplier of green lentils to Latin America and the Mediterranean.

Saskatchewan is now the world’s largest exporter of pulse crops, which include peas, lentils, and chickpeas.

In addition to many other honours, Slinkard was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2000.

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Slinkard will join 112 other people across the country to receive Canada’s highest civilian honour.

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The winter weight season began for several secondary highways in Saskatchewan at midnight.

Highways and Infrastructure Minister Joe Hargrave said winter weights allow trucks to carry more cargo which is a benefit to the trucking industry and shippers.

When a roadbed is frozen, secondary weight highways have the same strength as primary weight highways, which support the heaviest legal loads.

Each year winter weights are put in place from about mid-November to mid-March when truckers can carry up to 15 to 20 per cent more payload on secondary highways.

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The new Roquette pea processing facility in Manitoba has received its first shipment of peas.

Roquette Canada Public Affairs Manager Michelle Finley said operations have started with 100 people hired with 20 more staff starting in the new year.

She said the first load of peas will be used for the testing and commissioning of the plant.

No date has been set for retail processing to begin.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF