Livestock producers who sold breeding stock due to drought in 2015 could see some relief, as the federal government has added to the list of regions where livestock tax deferrals have been authorized. "Extreme weather created difficulties for Western Canada’s livestock industry last summer," Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said last week in... Read More
Category: Western Canada
What management practices and behaviours make farmers more financially successful? A report commissioned by the Agri-Food Management Institute and Farm Management Canada attempts to answer this question. “With the Dollars and Sense study we’re trying to determine what makes a leading farmer. How do they end up in the top 25% of farmers versus the... Read More
It's another year of opportunity for barley, says the barley merchandising manager for Viterra. After declining for much of the past decade, the number of barley acres in Western Canada rose slightly in 2015 and is expected to grow again in 2016. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's preliminary projection has barley acreage rising by two percent.... Read More
In theory, the application of a plant growth regulator to wheat should result in shorter, stronger plants that are less prone to lodging, enabling higher yield potential. In reality, it's not that simple. "I wish it was a nice black and white, straightforward story, but it certainly isn't," says Sheri Strydhorst, who's done extensive work…Read More
Cutworm outbreaks are incredibly unpredictable, pest management biologist Jennifer Otani told delegates of Agronomy Update in Red Deer last month. The insect can overwinter as eggs, larvae, or pupae, and scientists don't yet have a good understanding of the survivability of the various stages, let alone the almost twenty species we're dealing with across the... Read More
Myth Explosion: Calm, early mornings are perfect for spraying. In this Spray Tips Special Edition episode, Sprayers101.com dynamic duo Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau get up early to explode another spray myth. It all starts when Wolf nudges a snoozing Deveau who is catching a nap beside the sprayer. Deveau explains he’s feeling tired after... Read More
Cattle prices may not be where they were a year ago, but ranchers are generally still an optimistic bunch at current levels. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock joins us in the middle of her busy winter meeting circuit for this latest edition of the Beef Market Update. Domestically, the volatile Canadian dollar continues to play... Read More
The Western Grains Research Foundation has announced it will be investing $21.4 million in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's wheat and barley breeding programs over the next five years — the largest-ever industry investment in AAFC research. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Keith Degenhardt, vice-chair of WGRF, made the announcement in Saskatoon on Monday morning.... Read More
A good story can be told about potato production in Canada. It rose more than 4.5 per cent in 2015 over the previous year. Half of the new production came from Manitoba, with about another third coming from Quebec. That production increase didn’t hurt McCain Foods Canada’s decision in January to expand its Carberry, Manitoba... Read More
Maybe it's due to news traveling faster on social media than it used to, but there have been a fair number of reports of canola heating in the bin this winter. Producers who find themselves in these unfortunate situations are often left scratching their heads wondering why it happened. Was it harvested too early? Was…Read More