The cost of full traceability for Canada’s goat sector is the focus of a survey by the Canadian National Goat Federation. No firm date has been set by which time goats must have full traceability, but it could be as soon as next year, said Lorraine Stevenson-Hall of the federation. In preparation for that event, […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Wheat streak mosaic virus discovery raises alarms for Alberta growers
Wheat streak mosaic virus has appeared in southern Alberta winter wheat crops, with potential to infect spring wheat. Spread by the wheat curl mite, the virus initially appears as light green or yellow streaks running parallel to leaf veins, and can limit production, depending on severity. “We’ve confirmed it in probably a dozen fields and […] Read more
Canadian beef heads to Mexico
Strip loin steaks were served to International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at a dinner last week after Mexico announced it would once again accept Canadian beef from animals older than 30 months. It was a fitting menu item to acknowledge a full re-opening of the Mexican market that has […] Read more
Alta. watershed programs lose gov’t funding
Watershed stewardship programs will not receive funds through an Alberta government grant program this year. The program has been running since 2006 and in that time had allocated $1.8 million for 127 community based watershed groups. However, the Land Stewardship Centre, which redistributes the provincial grant money to groups that apply, learned at the end […] Read more
Deadly disease threatens pulses
Agronomists say conditions are ideal for the development of a variety of crop diseases and one has already become a headache for some pulse growers. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has been inundated with calls from agronomists and farmers reporting cases of aphanomyces, a devastating root rot disease in peas and lentils. Sherrilyn Phelps, agronomy and seed […] Read more
Alberta to raise minimum wage
Alberta’s minimum wage will rise to $12.20 per hour on Oct. 1, $1 more than the current rate, the provincial government announced today. An increase will also take place on that date for weekly and monthly minimum wage earners, to $486 and $2,316 respectively. The changes are part of the NDP government’s plan to bring […] Read more
Enjoy wildlife but leave them in the wild
There was much public outrage in May when two Canadian tourists loaded a newborn bison calf into their SUV over fears it wouldn’t survive the cold. The calf had to be euthanized when its source herd at Yellowstone National Park wouldn’t re-accept it and when it caused a hazard by approaching people and cars in […] Read more
Mexico will fully open to Canadian beef in October
Mexico says it will open its borders to the full range of Canadian beef effective Oct. 1, removing one of the last restrictions that were imposed after BSE was found in Canada in 2003. The announcement was made today by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. […] Read more
Viterra officially opens Alta. pulse cleaning plant
TEMPEST, Alta. — One of the last wooden crib elevators built in Alberta has new life as a pulse cleaning facility for Viterra. The facility, which has been refurbished and expanded to handle pulse crops, began its new role in November 2015, but the official launch occurred June 27 at the Tempest rail siding about […] Read more
AFSC officials suspended for code of conduct violations
A “culture of entitlement” appears to be at the heart of last week’s dismissal of the six-member board of Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp., according to Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier. An anonymous tip provided in November led the current provincial government to investigate the activities of several key executives, leading to the suspension of president […] Read more
