After three record crops around the world, grain prices are under heavy pressure from ample supplies. The impact is probably felt nowhere more than in the U.S., as the strength of the U.S. dollar is also restricting exports. Some analysts are saying it will take a major weather issue — maybe a flip from El... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Among the agriculture stories consumers need to hear are those that show the industry has known all along they were there. It has not just suddenly discovered them. Farmers have anticipated society’s needs and have long taken measures to keep food safe and affordable. This imperative is growing in importance, as popular food chains seek... Read More
The Alberta government passed its new farm labour legislation last week. Bill 6 is supposed to make Workers' Compensation Board insurance coverage mandatory for farm workers while bringing Occupational Health and Safety and labour standards to farms. Amendments made to the bill clarified that it only applies to farms with at least one paid worker.... Read More
This past week saw a lot of reports from various places, but the report that most outside markets are waiting for will come from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday, December 16th, as the Fed will decide whether it's raising U.S. interest rates or not. The Canadian Loonie continues to struggle against the U.S. dollar,... Read More
The beef price cycle certainly appears to have peaked, as Canadian cattle prices have dropped below year-ago levels in the last few weeks. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock and RealAg’s Shaun Haney try to look through the fog of what’s happening in the beef market, with dropping prices and increasing protein supplies across North America,... Read More
If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on a piece of meat will have to order horse, bison or ostrich because beef and pork will break their... Read More
Two giants in the crop input industry — The Dow Chemical Co and DuPont — have announced they're joining forces in a "merger of equals." After combining, the new company would be split into three independent businesses. The new company would be named DowDuPont, with the intention of separating the merged entity into three publicly-traded... Read More
Harvest is wrapped up and your yield monitor has accumulated another year of data. What should you do with it? In this episode of Corn School, AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan shares his thoughts on how you can use that yield data to guide soil sampling and create management zones in your fields. Many farmers... Read More
Despite large protests calling on the province to delay or drop the legislation, the Alberta government passed Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, on Thursday. The legislation passed third reading with 44-29 vote after government house leader Brian Mason invoked closure to limit debate. With mixed messages coming from government... Read More
Being selected as a 2013 Nuffield Scholar led Clayton Robins, a rancher from Rivers, Manitoba, around the world. It was a journey that began by shining a light on grasses with high concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates, and eventually, meant turning up the house lights… “It branched into everything from looking at rumen physiology, ruminant... Read More