There are certainly unknowns and risks that come with planting bin-run soybean seed versus certified seed, but one significant piece of information has been confirmed by crop insurance data in Manitoba: older, off-patent varieties don't have the same yield potential as newer varieties. As Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, points out in this... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has landed an adviser gig working with agri-food and energy clients for a law firm in Calgary. Wall is joining Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP as a special adviser. "We are excited to be able to offer our clients his strategic insights, particularly in the energy and agri-food businesses where... Read More
Spreading fertilizer can feel like a bit of a guessing game when it comes to knowing just how wide of a spray pattern is produced. Coverage depends on the type of fertilizer in the hopper, the terrain, and also, how much wind impacts the spray pattern. But Amazone claims it offers solutions to each of... Read More
The scoop: Transport Minister Marc Garneau has decided to accept the Senate's main grain-related amendments to Bill C-49 — the government's long-awaited transportation legislation. Farm groups are applauding the minister's decision, while urging MPs and Senators to agree on the amendments and to pass the bill before the summer break. The story: Farm groups are... Read More
Statistics Canada surprised grain market analysts with higher-than-expected acreage estimates for wheat, durum, lentils and peas, and a much lower-than-expected number for canola, on Friday. Coming off a dry year in much of Western Canada in 2017, you can't help but notice the crops that came in above expectations are crops we generally think of... Read More
As the home of the only grain-handling facility in Canada that has direct, high-speed service from a U.S. railroad, the commodity logistics hub at Northgate, Saskatchewan, gives its owner a unique position in the Western Canadian grain industry — and a unique view of the current grain backlog. Opened in 2016, Ceres Global Ag's facility,... Read More
The issue: The Saskatchewan government filed a reference question in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on Wednesday asking the court whether the federal carbon pricing legislation violates the Constitution. Farm groups, who have supported the Saskatchewan government's opposition to the carbon tax, are welcoming the court challenge. Why does it matter? Saskatchewan is currently the... Read More
Quebec-based cooperative La Coop fédérée is expandings its presence in Western Canada, announcing the acquisition of Standard Nutrition Canada. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Standard Nutrition Canada sells animal nutrition products and services in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Formed in 2004 after the amalgamation of Standard Nutrition USA's Canadian operations and Max Pro Feeds of Winnipeg,... Read More
Consumer confidence in government regulations around biotechnology is improving, according to CropLife Canada polling in the country. "We're finding the attitudes of Canadians about biotechnology is really getting better," says Dennis Prouse, vice president, government affairs, CropLife Canada, in the video below. "Our actual research finds that Canadian attitudes have taken a good jump forward,... Read More
When a field is confirmed infected with clubroot, it's recommended that producers implement (or continue) strict sanitation protocols, crop rotations, and the responsible use of Plasmodiophora brassicae-resistant canola varieties. There may be further options, however, like the use of fumigants traditionally used in horticulture. "The first fumigant I look at is Vapam, and the Vapam... Read More