Crop Research Organization of Portage, or C.R.O.P, held their Annual General Meeting in Portage la Prairie yesterday. Spokesperson Shawn Cabak explains C.R.O.P. is run by local producers, as well as industry and government individuals that help out.

"We meet three or four times a year to conduct their business, and organize their variety trials, annual summer tour, as well as the annual general meeting which we just held," he says.

Cabak says yesterday's meeting was a chance to go through the variety trial results the group is involved with in the summer -- in conjuction with the Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team.

"They carry out the trials for local producers with the major grains and oil seeds. So we had a review of those results and then we also hear presentations from a number of different speakers."

He adds they're optimistic about the water levels in the area, and they're hoping for a slow melt.