Plenty of extremes Wet, cool weather delayed seeding and a hard frost in September damaged some crops
Yields of 29 bushels per acre produced an average soybean crop for Kevin Elmy this year. The veteran soybean grower’s 650 acre crop near Saltcoats, Sask., likely outperformed many other producers as soybeans pushed into non-traditional regions this year. Elmy, who had to use less-than-ideal varieties for Saskatchewan soil, said his major hurdle wasn’t necessarily […] Read moreStories by Dan Yates
Growers urged to watch for cabbage seedpod weevil, midge
The cabbage seedpod weevil continued its march into Saskatchewan this year, says an entomologist. “To me, that one is one that producers really have to be watching for, being aware of, as it’s expanding its distribution in the province,” said Scott Hartley, insect specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Because that definitely is one that requires control […] Read more
Farmland rental rates slow to respond to commodity prices
Economist expects prices will adjust, but farmers with multi-year contracts will see margins squeezed
Prairie crop receipts will be down this year, but it won’t necessarily be immediately reflected in the price that farmers pay for rented land, says a Farm Credit Canada economist. Money on hand is just one factor affecting prices, said Craig Klemmer, senior agricultural economist with FCC. “Rental rates are notoriously sticky,” he said. “They […] Read moreExpiring patents could create opportunity, trade challenges
Generic seed International regulatory approvals must be maintained on off-patent traits produced via biotechnology
A farmer and former chemical company executive doesn’t expect western Canadian farmers to benefit as patents gradually expire on biotech seeds. “A generic industry is possible in the seed industry … but it’s not going to be easy, in my opinion,” said Maurice Delage, the former president of Aventis Crop Sciences in North America who […] Read more
Conservation group wants boar annihilated
Eradication plan sought | The animals destroy pastures, eat crops and can injure livestock
Saskatchewan conservationists are the latest group to put the wild boar in their crosshairs. The destructive animal made the agenda at a Nature Saskatchewan meeting for the first time in Regina in September. “The nature of their character is the rooting behaviour. One particular place that they can be really bad is in wetlands, so […] Read more
Photographs reveal stories of the past
Dion Manastyrski says he’s fascinated by the things that used to be on the Prairies but actually never left. The west coast photographer with an interest in abandoned spaces spent the past decade building a portfolio of images of farmhouses and long forgotten equipment. The aging buildings and rusty antiques are common sites from prairie […] Read more
Cheaper grain hurts land demand
Saskatchewan first affected | Alberta and Ontario prices remain strong and are expected to rise
Despite the explosion in farmland values in recent years, Saskatchewan remains home to some of the cheapest prices in Western Canada. It’s also the first province to feel the effects of softening commodity markets and tighter bottom lines on Prairie farms this year, according to a new report published by a real estate company operating […] Read moreMustard yields expected to decline as season progresses
First yield reports positive Mustard buyer expects average Canadian yields to fall below last year’s total
A mustard buyer in southern Alberta says he expects the effects of a wet and cool year will be evident when the final harvest numbers are tallied, which could give prices a boost. However, the earliest harvested fields are showing signs of another successful season. “Those samples are just starting to come in. For the […] Read more
Flattened crops challenge producers
Harvest work slowed | Producers who received snow in early September are finding they have to use the swather more
The best equipped farmer may be the first to cross the finish line this year. Many producers have been challenged by flat or leaning crops after frost in mid-September, cool weather, rain and the early appearance of snow in some regions. “It’s one of those things where definitely the newest technology as far as equipment […] Read more
Fiery explosion puts kibosh on combining
James Zimmer was combine shopping last week after his old one blew up. The fiery scene, which occurred in the Zimmer family’s farmyard near Major, Sask., Sept. 6., destroyed the machine with flames and explosions hot enough to melt aluminum. “It was a close call.… The flames were probably 50 feet in the air,” Zimmer […] Read more
