Veterinarian says respiratory disease is a major issue when moving cattle, and a rest stop allows more time for bacteria to incubate
Canadian livestock producers say shorter transportation times and rest stops could actually be worse for animals in transit. The beef, pork and poultry sectors recently took their concerns about proposed new transport regulations to the Commons agriculture committee. The regulations have not been changed since 1977 and amendments were released earlier this year after about […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Who owns what in Sask.?
A study of Saskatchewan farmland purchases has found that investors have indeed driven up land prices, but others are also willing to pay more than assessed value. Farmland values rose quickly from 2006-15, authors Andre Magnan and Annette Aurelie Desmarais say in a paper published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (PDF format) For […] Read more
Agribition officials satisfied despite dip in visitors, profits
Profit and attendance were both down at Canadian Western Agribition last year, but organizers say they’re happy, considering the challenges the show faced. “2016 was the year of change,” chief executive officer Chris Lane said at last week’s annual meeting. It was his first year as CEO, the show had only partial use of the […] Read more
Sask. ag worker course nixed
A program designed to train agricultural workers and help alleviate a shortage of skilled labour on Saskatchewan farms did not continue beyond a pilot project stage. The Agricultural Operator Program was announced in 2014 as part of the provincial government’s growth plan. It was delivered by Parkland Regional College in Yorkton and, if successful, was […] Read more
Need nitrogen? Fababeans an excellent choice in rotations
Specialist says fababeans offer better disease resistance than peas and lentils and are frost tolerant
Organic farmers who are looking for the biggest nitrogen gain from adding a pulse to their rotation might want to consider fababeans. Saskatchewan provincial special crops specialist Dale Risula told a recent workshop for organic producers that while all pulses fix nitrogen, fababeans are at the top of the list, followed by peas, soybeans, lentils […] Read moreSask. premier suggests supply management trade-off
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall last week used a trip to Washington, D.C., designed to promote the Canada-U.S. trade relationship to muse about the end of supply management. Speaking to the Heritage Foundation, which promotes conservative public policies, he talked about the products that flow back and forth between the two countries and the dependence that […] Read more
Insurance information lacking on organics
The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. would like more information from organic growers to make sure the program suits their needs. Dale Knouse, SCIC regional manager in Saskatoon, said the corporation has contracted SaskOrganics to do a monthly price survey so that it has more data. He said organic growers often insure their crops under the […] Read more
Nature conservancy grows in Saskatchewan
Nature Conservancy Canada has added to its Saskatchewan holdings with the acquisition of the Wideview Complex near Grasslands National Park. The 3,000-acre parcel lies between the west and east blocks of the park and was bought from a landowner in the Milk River Basin with funding from the federal and provincial governments. That brings the […] Read more
Sask. ag worker course discontinued due to lack of interest
A program designed to train agricultural workers and help alleviate a shortage of skilled labour on Saskatchewan farms did not continue beyond a pilot project stage. The Agricultural Operator Program was announced in 2014 as part of the provincial government’s growth plan. It was delivered by Parkland Regional College in Yorkton and, if successful, was […] Read more
Culling a careful consideration of cost
Online calculator can help producers determine how long a cow should stay in the herd to recoup replacement costs
Several factors come into play when deciding to cull a cow from a herd. She may be old, open or mean, but economics are important. Kathy Larson, an economist at the Western Beef Development Centre, says the costs of developing replacement females should be considered. Culling cows too soon can represent a missed economic opportunity. […] Read more
