OUTLOOK, Sask. — Researchers are looking at how including fababeans in a crop sequence could benefit soil carbon and improve other environmental factors when potatoes are also part of the rotation. So far, their hypothesis is holding true. Dr. Reynald Lemke, who is based at the federal research centre in Saskatoon, said the study is […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Livestock producers face feed crisis
Eastern Man. is in particularly bad shape, Sask. faces a below average hay crop and Alta. has had a second dry year
Cattle producers across the Prairies are dealing with poor hay crops, crispy pastures and dwindling feed supplies. A combination of late spring feeding, heat and dry conditions have put next winter’s feed supply in jeopardy in many parts of the region. Carryover has largely been used up, and little growth has occurred. “The eastern part […] Read moreMalt barley yields closing in on feed varieties
Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp. researchers in Sask. are also looking for the best time to spray durum for fusarium
OUTLOOK, Sask. — Higher-yielding malting barley varieties could lead farmers to grow them even if they aren’t guaranteed malt quality. Agronomy research underway at several sites in Saskatchewan is comparing newer malt varieties that promise higher yields with feed varieties that do yield higher. Garry Hnatowich, research director at the Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp. in […] Read more
Ag programs will open to cannabis
VANCOUVER — Cannabis growers will be eligible for federal agricultural funding after production becomes legal this fall. But they won’t be able to access business risk management money. Agriculture ministers meeting in Vancouver at their annual meeting last month agreed that because cannabis is considered an agricultural crop, producers will be able to apply for […] Read more
Semi-dwarf hemp varieties recommended
OUTLOOK, Sask. — An experienced hemp grower says first-time growers should consider semi-dwarf varieties. Larry Marshall, who farms at Shellbrook, Sask., told attendees of a recent field day at the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre, where variety trials of hemp are being grown, that shorter crops are easier to manage. He said he noticed that the […] Read more
EIA found in Saskatchewan horse
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed a case of equine infectious anemia in a Saskatchewan horse. This is the first case in the province this year but there have been several in Alberta. Saskatchewan usually has the highest number of positive cases, according to CFIA statistics. The positive test was confirmed July 20 after […] Read more
Farmers want role in program review
It appears a review of business risk management programs will continue without a panel that includes farm groups
VANCOUVER — Farm leaders say the decision by Canada’s agriculture ministers to continue reviewing business risk management programs is positive, but they wonder how producers will be involved. Ministers, at their annual meeting last week, accepted a report from an external panel of experts appointed six months ago and directed officials to move forward on […] Read moreNo ad-hoc farm aid if trade goes awry
VANCOUVER — Current farm safety nets will have to be enough if an escalating trade war hurts farmers financially, say Canada’s agriculture ministers. They did not discuss any ad hoc support during their annual meeting last week, in the event that tariffs and retaliatory tariffs harm the sector. Federal minister Lawrence MacAulay said the Canadian […] Read more
Japan lifts ban on Canadian wheat over GMO
International trade action against Canada after the discovery of an isolated patch of genetically modified wheat growing in Alberta is over. Japan last week lifted its temporary suspension of Canadian wheat and flour imports after conducting its own scientific testing. South Korea lifted its restriction June 26. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade […] Read more
Tariffs not that unusual in Canada-U.S. trade relations
An economist says protectionism has been the rule rather than the exception over the years between the two countries
MOOSE JAW, Sask. — U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to protectionism isn’t all that unusual, considering the trade history between the United States and Canada, says University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist Richard Gray. He said the last 20 years under the North American Free Trade Agreement have been the exception rather than the rule. He […] Read more
