During their annual meeting in Whitehorse last week, ministers heard that all major retailers had agreed to the code. Walmart and Costco were the final holdouts. The money is short-term assistance to support the code’s adjudication office. The code will be implemented by June 2025. | File photo

Gov’ts agree to fund grocery code adjudication office

The short-term funding comes after all five major grocery retailers in Canada announce that they will sign on to the code

WHITEHORSE — Agriculture ministers have agreed to spend $1.2 million to fund Canada’s new grocery code of conduct. During their annual meeting in Whitehorse last week, ministers heard that all major retailers had agreed to the code. Walmart and Costco were the final holdouts. The money is short-term assistance to support the code’s adjudication office. […] Read more

Ag ministers discuss BRM changes

WHITEHORSE — Canada’s agriculture ministers wrapped up their annual meeting here Friday saying they continue to look at changes to business risk management programs to make them more responsive.Federal minister Lawrence MacAulay and his Yukon counterpart, John Streicker, said during the closing news conference they held productive meetings on a wide number of topics.However, there […] Read more

Visitors tour the Cave Pasture at Swift Current, Sask. The property is owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada and lies right next to the city limits. | Karen Briere photo

Pasture provides space for cattle, nature lovers

The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Cave Pasture is adjacent to Swift Current, Sask., which provides easy access

SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — It’s almost unbelievable that a large piece of native grassland lies exactly north of Swift Current’s city boundary. Much of the province’s native grass has been lost over time, but anyone driving in and out of the city on Highway 4 passes by the 707 acre pasture on the west side […] Read more


Clubroot, Richardson’s ground squirrel, grasshoppers and the warble fly are no longer on the list of declared pests. All are considered endemic. | File photo

Clubroot removed from official declared pest list in Sask.

Richardson’s ground squirrel, grasshoppers and the warble fly are also no longer on the province’s list of declared pests

REGINA — Clubroot is among several pests the Saskatchewan government has now deregulated. The government in June repealed the Pest Control Act and replaced it with the Plant Health Act and its accompanying regulations. As a result, clubroot, Richardson’s ground squirrel, grasshoppers and the warble fly are no longer on the list of declared pests. […] Read more

The Saskatchewan government says it is aware of 15 wild boar farms in the province, but there might be more because they have not been licensed up till now.  |  File photo

Sask. to impose moratorium on wild boar farms

Current operators have about six months to comply with new regulations, but a researcher says a moratorium is too late

REGINA — A moratorium on wild boar farms will help Saskatchewan better deal with the threat of African swine fever and other diseases, the provincial government said. However, University of Saskatchewan researcher Ryan Brook said it’s far too late to control the feral population. The moratorium was announced in a package of new regulations under […] Read more


Last week’s high temperatures took their toll in parts of the southwest that hadn’t yet recovered from previous years’ drought. Both field crops and pastures were suffering.
 | File photo

Dry weather, heat hit southwestern Sask. producers hard

Lots of rain has fallen across the Prairies this year, but not everyone has been fortunate enough to receive the moisture

REGINA — Some crops are running out of moisture despite decent spring rain through most of Saskatchewan. Last week’s high temperatures took their toll in parts of the southwest that hadn’t yet recovered from previous years’ drought. Both field crops and pastures were suffering. Tyler Wilson, who farms near Admiral, said some crops still looked […] Read more

Adult Richardson’s ground squirrels have started to return underground for winter, but the juveniles will stay active until October.  |  File photo

Weather helps gophers get ahead of producers

A cool, wet spring and delayed crop development are blamed for the damage that prairie producers are seeing this year

REGINA — The cool, wet spring may have given producers a false sense of security when it came to Richardson’s ground squirrels. They’ve since become the talk of the town, said James Tansey, Saskatchewan’s insect and vertebrate pest management specialist. Some producers have had to reseed canola after significant damage, including Scott Anderson, who farms […] Read more

Some agriculture ministers attending next week’s national meeting
plan to raise the possibility of a railway strike. | File photo

Ag ministers take their concerns to Whitehorse

PMRA, country-of-origin labelling and rail strike priorities as federal, provincial and territorial ministers meet July 17-19


REGINA — Canada’s agriculture ministers meet next week in Whitehorse, but it seems unlikely there will be fireworks of the agricultural policy kind. The Whitehorse meeting happens once every 11 years, and the last two have been notable. The first Agriculture Policy Framework was signed there in 2001, launching the then-Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program […] Read more


Most of Manitoba has received far beyond 100 per cent of normal rainfall, leading to unseeded acres and flooded crops. | Paul Yanko photo

Moisture welcome, but some areas receive too much

A western Sask., farmer says a moisture probe in one of his canola fields has indicated saturation every day since June 2

REGINA — The 2024 growing season for many Prairie farmers is characterized by the old saying, it never rains but it pours. Most of Manitoba has received far beyond 100 per cent of normal rainfall, leading to unseeded acres and flooded crops. Saskatchewan’s most recent crop report highlighted crop flooding in low lying areas and […] Read more

Saskatchewan hikes dog rebate

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. has bumped up the rebate available under its guardian dog program. The maximum rebate has risen from $100 to $400 per dog, or the full value of the dog if a producer paid less than $400 for it. The increase is retroactive to April 1, 2024. Agriculture minister […] Read more