Beyond the “cool” factor, the value of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for farmers comes down to how they help them make more-informed decisions. That includes helping a producer understand plant stand counts across entire fields early in the growing season, explains Kris Poulson, CEO of Casselton, North Dakota-based North Country Ag Services. “If we just... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Two large honey producers in Ontario recently hired a law firm to launch a class-action lawsuit against Syngenta and Bayer (the parent of Bayer CropScience) regarding the sale of the companies' nenonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybean. The beekeepers are seeking $450 million in damages and losses to bee hives and honey production dating... Read More
Originally announced last fall as part of the Local Food Act, Ontario's agriculture minister Jeff Leal was on location today to formally roll out a tax credit for farmers who donate food to food banks. The "Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers" gives farmers a tax credit valued at 25% of the fair market value... Read More
The ability to follow the contours of a field sets the Case 500 drill apart from its competitors, but while it cuts the soil well, this unit could do a better job closing the soil. That’s according to Phil Needham of Needham Ag Technologies, who assesses the pros and cons of the Case 500T drill... Read More
With corn harvest around the corner, the "push test" can help growers assess plant health and whether lodging will be a problem. As part of this episode of the Corn School, Dieter Schwarz, market develop agronomist for Western Canada with Pride Seeds, discusses the importance of plant health right through the dry-down process. Stalk integrity... Read More
It's fall again. That means three things: preg-checking, weaning and deciding on replacement heifers. Deciding on replacement heifer numbers should be a process that's repeated yearly. The overarching goal of an operation should have a bearing on your decision (that is, are you hoping for herd expansion in the long run? Or are you maintaining,... Read More
Grain prices are in that seasonal rut thanks to #harvest14 selling pressure and favourable planting conditions as South America starts its seeding season. On the speculation side, hedge funds are starting to increase their optimism that grain and oilseed prices will begin to rise. That being said, in the last four decades, an ounce of... Read More
Today, at the Canada-EU Summit in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, signed a formal declaration marking the end of negotiations for the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The final text of the deal — more than 1,600 pages long — was also made public... Read More
Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario, has rolled out mandate letters to each of the provincial departments. Of particular note on the agriculture file headed up by Jeff Leal, Wynne's set priorities for the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, under the heading "Ensuring Sustainability of Agriculture," states: Strengthening pollinator health. You will work... Read More
The concept of nitrogen fixation in cereal crops is getting some mainstream attention after a trio of 16 year-olds from Ireland won an international prize for their work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in wheat, barley and oats. The prizes for the 2014 Google Science Fair — the world's largest science competition for teenagers — were handed... Read More