The markets continued their strong bearish tone as grains and oilseeds pushed lower across the board for the second day in a row on Tuesday. On Monday, one excuse was that Friday's bearish cattle on feed report sparked a push to sell. Expected rains in the U.S. midwest later this week have certainly driven some... Read More
Category: Western Canada
It's hard to say how many injuries occur or work hours are lost on North American farms due to falls while climbing grain bins. They don't all get reported or talked about, but there are many anecdotal stories of people getting hurt, or narrowly escaping injury. Whether checking grain condition, opening or closing lids, or... Read More
As the hot, dry weather continues across much of the prairies, many growers are wondering "do I even need to desiccate my pulse crops?" It's not always easy to know what the benefits of desiccation are (or aren't) in your peas and lentils, and in this Pulse School episode, Sherrilyn Phelps, agronomy specialist with Saskatchewan…Read More
Agriculture's Big 6 seed and chemical companies are pretty busy these days sorting through the details of mergers and acquisitions and keeping an eye on their mega competitors. The club, which includes BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Dow, Monsanto and Syngenta, are deep into their post commodity boom strategies, with a key focus on efficiency and shareholder... Read More
The federal government has issued an extension for sharing views on what Canada's first national food policy should look like. The online survey and comment period, which was originally slated to end on July 27, has been extended to August 31. (Find the survey here.) "A strong response from across the country has prompted Agriculture... Read More
With an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 cattle left behind in areas evacuated due to wildfires in B.C.'s central and southern interior, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it has asked the federal government for a quick response to help affected ranchers. "As an initial start, the CCA is requesting the federal government provide a tax deferral... Read More
"What would happen if we bumped nitrogen rates up by 10 percent? Or vice versa? Should we apply boron? What about foliar product XYZ?..." As a grower, you're constantly considering different ideas on to get the best return on investment in a given crop, but with all the variables in farming, it's often difficult to…Read More
If you were looking for the the July 1 USDA cattle on feed report to shock the market to the higher side, it did not deliver. Overall, cattle on feed in the United States were up 4 percent compared to a year ago, with heifers and heifer calves on feed up 11 percent compared to... Read More
The painted lady caterpillar, also known as the thistle caterpillar, is typically something pulse growers in Western Canada have seen as a beneficial insect. This is because it feeds on Canada thistle. However, as seen in 2017, the painted lady caterpillar also likes to chew on soybeans, causing leaf damage and potential yield losses. In…Read More
We’re heading into the apex of summer weather (and the volatility that can come with it). It’s corn pollination and soybean pod-setting season, while combines are starting to run on the earliest seeded pulses and cereals in the U.S. and even parts of Canada. More than anything, the market is mostly trading rain clouds and... Read More