Picket lines are up across the country as more than 155 thousand Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members began strike action at 12:01am ET on April 19. The union members on strike make up approximately a third of the federal public service, and includes employees of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Grain... Read More
Category: Western Canada
There are two ways to get a horse to carry a heavy load. You can hit it with a big stick, or you can provide a reward for work well done. Think of agriculture as the horse, and governments’ sustainability goals as the load farmers are being asked to carry. Too often governments reach for... Read More
Welcome to Season 4 of the Pests & Predators podcast series, where top entomologists highlight the insect Field Heroes hard at work for Canadian farmers. Dr. Meghan Vankosky, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at Saskatoon, Sask., co-chairs the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN), a key tool in alerting farmers to pest population... Read More
Toromont Industries says it has entered into an agreement to sell its AgWest farm equipment dealerships in Manitoba to a Netherlands-based company as of May 1, 2023. AgWest's three main locations and three satellite dealerships in Manitoba are being acquired by Mechan International, which is part of Zweegers Equipment Group, led by CEO Gerrit van... Read More
What's old is new again, or at least as relevant as ever when it comes to managing herbicide resistant weeds. Research led by Charles Geddes, weed scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lethbridge, shows cultural practices — tighter row spacing, higher seeding rates, and longer crop rotations — can be just as effective as... Read More
Even though many are looking at the futures market for '23 new crop prices, and there's a little more positivity across drought areas in terms of upcoming precipitation, "what's going in the mouths of cattle today is still old crop." So, as a result, we're going to have to wait until the back half of... Read More
Update, as of April 17: The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced a strike deadline on Monday morning. The union says more than 155,000 PSAC members, which includes staff with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission, will begin strike action on Wednesday, April 19 if a deal cannot be reached by 9... Read More
Trying to "cure" aphanomyces of pea and lentil is similar to trying to find a cure for something as complex as cancer. The organism is hardy, spreads easily, and persists in soil for a long time. Dr. Sabine Banniza, with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, says the root rot pathogen is likely native... Read More
Shifting weather patterns, like this one from La Niña to El Niño, can have profoundly different impacts depending on the region. Each weather pattern can be generalized — as in, wetter for some regions, drier for others — but the shift this year has caused some wild weather swings. Scott Kehler, president and chief scientist... Read More
The spring wheat market is no exception when it comes to how up in the air the commodity markets have been. Especially when you look at all the intended acres that are planned for the U.S. Chip Flory, of Agritalk, says a main reason for keeping eyes on the spring wheat market, is the terrible... Read More