The next meeting of federal and provincial agriculture ministers from across Canada will have a new longest-serving minister at the table. Lana Popham was shuffled out of her agriculture post, as B.C.'s provincial cabinet under new premier David Eby was announced and sworn in on Wednesday. Popham, who had served as B.C.'s ag minister since... Read More
Category: Western Canada
It's a good time to be in the canola business, as vegetable oil demand is up, and the world wants Canadian canola. So says Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council of Canada, who gave a state of the industry address at Canola Week in Saskatoon, Sask. this week. There's plenty to be optimistic about... Read More
The pace that technology and manufacturing advances can, at times, be dizzying. It's no wonder then, that rules and laws on the books concerning copyright and intellectual property might need updating once in a while. Saskatchewan Conservative MP for Cypress Hills-Grassland, Jeremy Patzer, has put forward private member's bill C-294, in an effort to amend... Read More
Before you know it, the days are going to start getting longer, just as meteorological winter begins! And what does winter really mean? Conference season! In this week's episode of Wheat Pete's Word, host Peter Johnson answers your questions left on the phone line, offers some solid life advice from an astronaut, and shares his... Read More
The potential loss of access to an insecticide used to manage flea beetle populations poses a challenge for canola production in Western Canada in 2023. Syngenta and ADAMA Canada have recalled insecticide products containing lambda-cyhalothrin, under the trade names Matador and Silencer, from their distribution channels in Western Canada, following a decision by the Pest... Read More
Plans have been unveiled for another major soybean crush plant to be built in North Dakota. Epitome Energy LLC has announced the construction of a US$400 million facility on the north side of Grand Forks, North Dakota — approximately 120 km (75 miles) south of Emerson, Manitoba. It marks the third — and most northerly... Read More
We're often told not to dwell on the past, but what about the future? Elatia Abate, futurist, spoke at the Grow Canada Conference at Ottawa, Ont., to help producers build a bridge between the now — and what's coming next. Looking at what's next, Abate says we need to pay attention to the rate of... Read More
Prior to November of this year, plenty of Western Canadian farmers would have listed flea beetles as one of the major insect pests of canola. Then, just last week, distributors of the insecticide active lambda-cyhalothrin (sold as Matador and Silencer) announced they were pulling the product out of retail and likely not returning it for... Read More
A soil with excellent structure will allow healthy root development, have good water infiltration, and support equipment; but compaction and tillage can destroy structure and create root-zone challenges. Controlled traffic farming — where tire tracks of all implements are focused on the same route — is one way to decrease tillage and overall compaction. What... Read More
Alberta’s government is increasing the total provincial loan guarantee to $150 million for cattle and sheep producers buying and feeding livestock for market. The Feeder Association Loan Guarantee Program helps local, producer-run co-operatives obtain financing, as the government provides an overall loan guarantee. Today's announcement is a $50 million increase over the former limit. Nate... Read More