It's fall again. That means three things: preg-checking, weaning and deciding on replacement heifers. Deciding on replacement heifer numbers should be a process that's repeated yearly. The overarching goal of an operation should have a bearing on your decision (that is, are you hoping for herd expansion in the long run? Or are you maintaining,... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Grain prices are in that seasonal rut thanks to #harvest14 selling pressure and favourable planting conditions as South America starts its seeding season. On the speculation side, hedge funds are starting to increase their optimism that grain and oilseed prices will begin to rise. That being said, in the last four decades, an ounce of... Read More
Today, at the Canada-EU Summit in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, signed a formal declaration marking the end of negotiations for the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The final text of the deal — more than 1,600 pages long — was also made public... Read More
Staff at Cargill crop input retail sites in Manitoba are letting customers know that the company will no longer sell anhydrous ammonia (NH3) fertilizer after next spring. Due to its hazardous nature and the strict regulations surrounding the handling of NH3, it's become harder to find reliable transportation, says the company. "Our decision was based... Read More
The concept of nitrogen fixation in cereal crops is getting some mainstream attention after a trio of 16 year-olds from Ireland won an international prize for their work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in wheat, barley and oats. The prizes for the 2014 Google Science Fair — the world's largest science competition for teenagers — were handed... Read More
There's never a shortage of things to talk about when it comes to Canadian agriculture. As part of "This Week on Real Ag," Kelvin touches on harvest progress, cattle herd expansion, General Mills shareholders vote against banning GMO ingredients, confusion about rail penalties and buying fertilizer for next year, among other things. Get caught up... Read More
The Manitoba and federal governments have announced $400,000 for a four-year feed wheat breeding project to be conducted by the farmer-run Western Feed Grain Development Co-op. According to a government news release, the focus of the project will be to "develop new feed wheat varieties that have characteristics such as high yield, flood tolerance, fusarium... Read More
After several months without any new cases, porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus has been found on two hog farms in Manitoba within the last week. The province's Chief Veterinary Officer on Thursday confirmed Manitoba's fourth on-farm case in a sow operation in the southeast corner of the province. Just six days earlier, PED was also... Read More
Iguassu (or Iguazu, Iguacu) Falls borders Argentina and Brazil, its name originating from the Tupi or Guarani language meaning "big water." With a width of 2.7 kilometers and heights between 60 and 82m, it certainly is big water. They're taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide. And it's not just the falls that are... Read More
With a challenging harvest underway, it's probably not be a high priority, but now could be the time to lock in prices for some of next year's nitrogen fertilizer. Lower crop prices will place an extra emphasis on managing input costs for the 2015 crop, notes Mike Jubinville, president and senior analyst with ProFarmer Canada,... Read More