By John McGregor, extension support for Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association Supply shortages have become almost the norm for most of us. From the infamous toilet paper shortage back in 2020 to hay shortages presently, living with and planning for supply disruptions are becoming all too common. On the agricultural side, we read about supply... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Ruminant animals aren't just great at turning grass and forage into nutrient-dense protein; they can also turn food waste back into food, but we need a system to do it. Dr. Kim Ominski, with the University of Manitoba, Dr. Tim McAllister, with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lethbridge, and Herman Peters, of Birkland Farms, join... Read More
As blockades along the Canada-U.S. border protesting COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates have come to an end over the last few days, the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with governors from 16 U.S. states are urging their national leaders to drop vaccination mandates for cross-border truck drivers. "We are writing to request that you... Read More
While drought is still top of mind in Western Canada, especially in areas of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan that are without snow, there are reasons to be hopeful for more moisture on the Prairies than last year. With La Nina fading, it's possible a shift in the jet stream along the West Coast could result... Read More
Two Saskatchewan Co-ops are expanding service to farm customers with the acquisition of Paragon Ag Services Ltd. (Paragon). Lake County Co-op and Prairie North Co-op have entered into an agreement to purchase Paragon's three Saskatchewan retail ag sites and two anhydrous ammonia locations. This means these local Co-ops will grow their service footprint and add... Read More
The confirmation of issues with the glyphosate ingredient supply chain has rattled the farming industry this week and added uncertainty for what spring may hold for input supplies. Another crop protection product that has also been under scrutiny when it comes to availability is glufosinate, also sold as Liberty by BASF. Mark Shillingford, director of... Read More
When it comes to applying nitrogen fertilizer, agronomists have to help determine the right rate, right placement, the right time, and the rate form of N to protect the environment and feed the crop. The backdrop to those decisions include the farm setup, soil test results, yield goals, and product availability. There's also that key... Read More
Concerns about a shortage of a key herbicide have risen to a new level, as Bayer has informed customers about a problem with sourcing a raw ingredient needed for making glyphosate. While supplies of many crop protection products are already tight, the significance of this supplier issue on glyphosate supplies is not yet clear. Udo... Read More
Several agriculture groups are calling for an immediate conclusion of the blockades of Canada's transport and trade corridors, and for all levels of government to work collaboratively towards action on the issue. Protests have hampered or stopped the transport of fruits and vegetables, meat, food packaging, feed supplies, livestock shipments, transport equipment, and inputs for... Read More
We often take inspiration from the social media feeds of those in our RealAgriculture community. This week, Ron Krahn, farmer in Manitoba and regular guest on the Farmer Rapid Fire, asked a great question on Twitter: Thinking about farm fuel use/storage (not because of the Ottawa truck protest/jerry can issue). ?? What % of... Read More