The Canadian Cooperative Wool Growers (CCWG or Wool Growers) held its 105th annual general meeting October 14, 2023 near Carleton Place, Ont. The meeting was tense, given the months-long uncertainty after long-time general manager Eric Bjergso was placed on paid leave in March 2023, following what the Wool Growers' board calls “undisclosed liabilities” and “corporate... Read More
Category: Western Canada
What if there was a way to boost the number of acres harvested in a day by 20 to 50 per cent while reducing fuel consumption by a similar amount? It may sound too good to be true, but that's been the experience of Darren Maddess after switching his New Holland combine from a conventional... Read More
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is rearing its head again as migratory birds head south for winter. After a quiet summer, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed four new cases on commercial farms in Alberta and one commercial farm case in Saskatchewan over the past four weeks. There have also been at least two confirmed... Read More
When it comes time to replace cows in the herd, one of the biggest questions producers face is whether to raise their own heifer calves or buy in bred-heifers or young cows. Kathy Larson, research associate and extension economist at the University of Saskatchewan, recently joined RealAgriculture's Lyndsey Smith to discuss the factors to consider... Read More
Pulse crops are notoriously poor competitors against weeds due to their slow growth in the spring. This makes fall weed control essential for establishing a healthy pulse stand in the following year. According to Lyle Jensen of Agro Plus Inc., there are several key reasons why fall is the preferred time for weed control. First,... Read More
The land market has provided a very stable investment opportunity for farmers for quite some time. As the industry looks forward, questions arise on what will happen to the price of land as external variables, such as rising interest rates, sticky input prices and commodity price concerns stack up. In early October, Farm Credit Canada... Read More
Transport Canada is launching consultations regarding some of its rail policies, including the maximum revenue entitlement for grain shipments, extended interswitching, shortlines, and other regulations that fundamentally affect grain transportation. Separate in-person consultations with shippers and railways are scheduled to be held at Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg starting this coming week and wrapping up by... Read More
Four Saskatchewan farm groups are urging the Saskatchewan government to conduct a thorough risk assessment of Bunge's proposed $8.1 billion acquisition of Viterra. The leaders of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, SaskCanola, Sask Wheat, and SaskBarley have written a letter to Agriculture Minister David Marit calling for a review of the multinational grain handler... Read More
After multiple years of drought, could relief finally be on the horizon for farmers in Western Canada? According to Nutrien's senior meteorologist Andrew Pritchard, the shift away from La Niña conditions means the deck is no longer stacked against above-average precipitation in the Prairies this winter. While specific storms cannot yet be predicted, Prichard says... Read More
Even as inflation continues to grow and increasing borrowing costs have put pressure on farm incomes, farmland values across Canada rose 7.7 per cent in the first half of 2023, according to Farm Credit Canada's Mid-Year Land Value report. Tight supply has continued to support land appreciation for now, says FCC chief economist J.P. Gervais.... Read More