Any flax producer knows that the biggest challenge to growing the crop is the long, fibrous residue left behind. The following seeding season, these long-stem fibres — also known as shive — get wrapped around discs, wheels, or seeder-shanks. It's known as "the straw problem" according to the former Flax Council of Canada, and it... Read More
Category: Western Canada
More than two months after the federal government announced $50 million in emergency funding for provinces that want to offer cattle set-aside programs, the Manitoba government has still not released any information on what the program will look like for beef producers in the province. The cattle set-aside initiatives aim to help cover the costs... Read More
For most of Canada, producers are playing the waiting game. They're keeping an eye on their crops and are getting ready for harvest, but they might be wondering what the markets are doing and how they'll market their commodities. Canola is the go-to crop for profitability on the Prairies. Some areas definitely have enough moisture,... Read More
The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN) has launched a new website to help farmers and agronomists predict insect risks, monitor insect populations, and find information to help scout for pests, time their scouting activities, and to make decisions about using chemical controls. The site, Prairiepest.ca, expands the functionality of the previous PPMN blog, says Jennifer... Read More
A state-of-the-art grain export terminal at the Port of Vancouver has become the latest component of G3's growing network, and officially opened this week. "G3 began with the vision of building a more efficient path from farmers' fields to global markets," says president and CEO of G3, Don Chapman. "We are very proud to see... Read More
All the "knee-high by the first (or fourth) of July" photos have been posted on social media, with the crop looking nice from above; but what's going on below the canopy? Now is the time to check weed populations and assess herbicide performance, says Jeanette Gaultier, senior technical services specialist with BASF, joining us for... Read More
Have you ever wondered what the carbon offset value is of those shelterbelts on your land? A new app developed by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) may soon be able to help you estimate their economic value. "People tend to focus on the negative environmental aspects of farming such as the greenhouse gases... Read More
The newly-formed Manitoba Crop Alliance has received its formal designation from the Manitoba government and announced its management team, clearing the path for the multi-commodity organization to begin operating and collecting levies beginning on August 1, 2020. The group, formed through the amalgamation of five provincial commodity associations, has received approval under The Agricultural Producers'... Read More
It's no secret that COVID-19 has had an impact on the cost of raw materials and energy prices. Due to the plummeting cost of raw materials, growing production capacity, and mediocre demand, there have been pressures on the global price indicators of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to fall either to or near ten-year lows. According... Read More
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the province is making the initial investment in a massive project that would irrigate up to half a million additional acres of farmland with water from Lake Diefenbaker. The entire project is expected to take 10 years to complete, with an estimated cost of $4 billion over three phases. “The... Read More