"It's literally costing me money now to seed canola... $200,000 that...[we] lost off of our canola, just like that, just due to the tariffs." This is the message that Christi Friesen of Rebellion Farms based out of Brownvale, Alta., wanted to get across to Premiere Danielle Smith in a recent post on X (see below).... Read More
Category: Western Canada
The Alberta government has proposed updates to the current Agricultural Operations Practices Act through Bill 44. If implemented, the government says that it would reduce waste and allow farmers to supplement current fertilizer programs with organic materials. While biodigesters already operate within the province, the current regulations lack clarity on the management of organic material,... Read More
Unlike a railway strike or work stoppage where crop can't move to port, the latest tariff threat by China to impose huge taxes on canola oil and meal risks devaluing the entire crop, says Dean Roberts chair of Sask Oilseeds. That distinction, Roberts says, means Canada needs to move very quickly to remedy the situation... Read More
Submitted by Penny Eaton, stakeholder relations for Canadian Food Focus Dorothy Long, managing director of Canadian Food Focus, says we need to remember that food is the part of agriculture that consumers care most about. For a long time, the ag industry has been unable to meaningfully reach consumers because we concentrate too much about... Read More
Weather is a central topic in many coffee shop conversations, plays a large role in the success or failure of a crop, and is outside of a wheat grower's control. But that doesn't mean farmers can't at least try and out-maneuver Mother Nature. Dr. Brian Beres, senior research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)... Read More
Will the U.S. plant over 95 million acres of corn? Will canola move unfettered into China? What about getting crop out of the Black Sea region? Will that be possible? All of these questions and more are in the commodity pricing mix right now, and Neil Townsend, market analyst with GrainFox, says that investors are... Read More
Clubroot disease is not only spreading, but also adapting in real-time, as the number of confirmed versions of the soilborne disease that reduces canola yields in Western Canada has climbed to 55 as of this winter. "The growing season in 2024 was quite good for the clubroot disease itself. There were quite a few new... Read More
For Derek Axten, changing nitrogen management on over 10,000 acres first required changing the goal. Shifting from a production-maximizing mentality to a profitability-first and resilience mindset is more fun, he says, though it's not without its share of challenges. The Axtens have been using several different management tools to make the shift to a soil-health... Read More
Harvested seed quality is heavily influenced by weather conditions throughout the growing season. Summers with drought conditions, as well as heat blast, can lead to an increased occurrence of mechanical damage in pulse seed lots. While the Prairies experienced both last year, the quality of seed going into 2025 is quite stable, says Carey Matthiessen,... Read More
Not knowing what the weather will do is one of the great challenges when farming or ranching. While a producer can do everything within their power to ensure a successful crop, rain—or the lack of it—at inopportune times can spell disaster throughout the growing season. Weather and what it may look like for the coming... Read More