Southwestern Manitoba farmers feeling supply chain pinch
CBC
Manitoba farmers are used to dealing with the forces of nature, but now they have another issue to contend with, in the form of supply chain issues and delays for essential materials and parts.
Getting machinery and components has been an ongoing struggle for farmers this year, said Keystone Agriculture Producers president Bill Campbell, who farms south of Brandon, in southwestern Manitoba.
"We're in the midst of harvest," he said. "Any breakdown or parts unavailability has a huge impact on being able to get our crop in the bin."
Farmers have been dealing with supply chain delays since the spring, he said. Keystone Agriculture Producers has heard reports of delays in getting everything from seeding equipment to microchips to tires.
"We've heard of different people who've ordered new equipment last winter and they were not showing up for harvest season," he said. "They thought … [the equipment] would be delivered."
The problem is likely to stretch beyond this season. Some dealers are not taking orders or have cancelled requests because the equipment is unavailable for 2023, said Campbell.
He added it is also hard to find used equipment as an alternative option.
Producers are trying to make do with existing equipment — but eventually, repairs are required.
The bigger challenge, Campbell said, is trying to adapt to new technology. Older equipment can't always be retrofitted, making it difficult to use with more modern technology in some cases, he said.
"We are, as an agricultural industry, in a different framework as we move forward in 2023..... [There are] rising input costs when we look at all of our fertilizer and our fuel and seed costs," Campbell said.
"It is only going to be more expensive to produce a crop."
Mike Nykoliation works on a farm near Virden, also in southwestern Manitoba.
Getting his hands on the equipment and parts he needs to ensure operations on the farm run smoothly has been one of his biggest challenges during this harvest, he said.
Nykoliation said he purchased a combine in mid-September 2021. It arrived just about a week ago, when the current harvest season was already at full tilt.
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