It was great news this week that, following negotiations between Canada and China, canola producers and exporters here will have a shot at expanded access to the Chinese market. But to me, it was even more noteworthy that science, not politics, helped open the door. Science is constantly maligned in agriculture, particularly when product safety... Read More
Category: Western Canada
The Barley Council of Canada (BCC) was formally incorporated today, according to a press release. The first of its kind in Canada, the council will speak on behalf of barley industry members and farmers. "This is the first time in history the entire value chain has been brought together from coast to coast on a... Read More
Only a few months ago, soybeans were the darling crop of nearly every farmer from Manitoba to Alberta. The crop could do no wrong, it seemed, and everyone wanted a piece of this nitrogen-fixing pie. Acres in Manitoba were set to surpass a million if you asked someone in January, but here we are in…Read More
Ah, nothing says spring like the first robin, mud on your boots and, yes, farm auctions. From a box of random bolts, to a shiny, barely used tillage implement, auctions are a great place to pick up hard-to-find-new items, a good deal or pay far too much for a popular item. As the spring auction…Read More
Parrish & Heimbecker Limited today announced the acquisition of a crop-input facility at Langbank, Saskatchewan, expanding services to farmers through its network of grain-handling and crop-input facilities. P&H at Langbank offers a full-service granular fertilizer operation with custom blending services, liquid fertilizers, canola and pedigreed bulk seed, as well as a full line of crop-protection... Read More
The drive to get on the field to plant in a timely manner can sometimes overshadow the importance of planting only when the soil is ready. What's more, if there's any tillage to be done before planting, a late start can start feeling very late indeed. But if you head out planting before the soil…Read More
China’s decision to open another of its crushers to Canadian canola seed improves market access, according to the Canola Council of Canada. The authorization of three new crushers in the last few months means China now has the capacity to import an additional 1 million tonnes of canola seed from Canada, Canola Council of Canada... Read More
The federal government handed over the more than a million acres of Saskatchewan's PFRA community pastures to the provincial government last year, a move that some have argued jeopardizes the pastures' future. Though announced in 2012, the first hand-off of the land is not slated to happen until next grazing season, and all of the... Read More
If you cannot se the embedded video player above, Click Here Anne Wasko and Shaun Haney discuss the recent cow slaughter prices. As Anne mentions to Shaun there is some interesting issues at play here. Domestic cow slaughter 1st quarter is down 7% while exports are double last year meaning that disposals are up 20%…Read More
Flea beetles, those tiny, hungry pests, feed on seedling leaf tissue in your canola fields almost every season. Their feeding on young canola plants causes the most economic damage. Understanding the pest and its lifecycle can help determine when control may be necessary, even if you've used a seed treatment. The two dominant species of... Read More