Producers say they are in ‘uncharted territory’ now that the livestock show won’t be going ahead this fall due to COVID
Typically, Trent and Janelle Liebreich would be gearing up for the fall cattle show circuit right about now. The Radville, Sask., family operates Merit Cattle Co. and participates in the major shows in Western Canada to promote their Black Angus genetics. “Agribition is the one show that carries more international clout than any in the […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
National Outstanding Young Farmers event falls victim to COVID-19 pandemic
The annual event to honour Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers won’t go ahead this year. Organizers have decided to cancel the national event that was to be held in Saskatoon. National OYF program manager Carla Kaeding said the organization will go ahead with a virtual conference for alumni and sponsors later this year instead. That will […] Read more
CEBA confusion continues
Farmers continue to have issues applying for Canadian Emergency Business Account benefits after the federal government deemed them eligible weeks ago. The problem centres on the requirement to have a business account at financial institutions. When the program was announced small businesses had to have $50,000 in payroll to be eligible. They also required a […] Read more
Hutterite colony bears brunt of Sask. COVID spike
COVID-19 continues its rampage through Hutterite colonies in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. On July 22, Manitoba reported seven of its eight new cases were on colonies. Saskatchewan reported its highest one-day total of the pandemic at 60 new cases and said 48 are on colonies in southwest and west-central areas. Forty-three of them are located in […] Read more
COVID cases jump in Manitoba
The spread of COVID-19 through Hutterite colonies has moved east into Manitoba. The virus has already affected colonies in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Last week, the Manitoba government reported two colonies were in voluntary lockdown after five cases were found. They included a man and woman in their 60s, a man and woman in their 30s […] Read more
COVID-19 continues to spread in Sask.
Saskatchewan health officials are warning of higher risk of COVID-19 transmission after posting the largest one-day increase in cases since the pandemic began. There are 42 new cases as of July 16, for a total of 923. Thirty-one of those are in the South region, six are in Central, four are in the Saskatoon region […] Read more
Comprehensive water plan needed alongside irrigation expansion
Water scientists say an economic cost-benefit analysis is needed, and climate change must be taken into account
The plan to expand Saskatchewan’s irrigation capacity requires a water management plan for Lake Diefenbaker that addresses all the downstream concerns, say water experts. John Pomeroy, who directs Global Water Futures, the world’s largest fresh-water research program, said the $4 billion project to add 500,000 irrigable acres is far more complex than simply taking more […] Read more
Animal protection agency makes significant cattle seizures in Sask.
Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan has seized hundreds of cattle recently, leading some to question whether the agency has too much authority. After a seizure near Buchanan and then another last week near Hubbard, several people contacted The Western Producer with concerns about how APSS works. Each time a seizure is made public, other producers, […] Read more
Set-aside program open
The AgriRecovery set-aside program is up and running to help producers who hold cattle back from slaughter after COVID-19 affected packing plant employees. Enrolment began June 29 and proceeds weekly. Successful applicants can get up to $2 per head per week to offset the extraordinary costs of keeping cattle on maintenance rations before they are […] Read more
COVID-19 cases jump in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has reported an increase of 56 cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, most of them in Hutterite colonies. Two cases were reported July 11, another 23 on July 12 and 31 on July 13. Health officials said July 13 that most of the cases are concentrated in the southwestern and west-central parts […] Read more
