Feed suppliers fear they are out millions of dollars after Saskatchewan’s largest pork producer applied for creditor protection. Humboldt-based Big Sky Farms has experienced 22 consecutive months of negative margins, is losing $350,000 per week and must financially restructure, say documents filed in Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench. But farmers who supply feed to the […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Crown land purchase discount extended
The Saskatchewan government has extended the discount available to Crown land lessees who want to purchase their lease land. The 10 percent purchase price discount in place since the program began a year ago was supposed to end Dec. 31. Instead, it will continue until Dec. 31, 2010. Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud said the extension […] Read more
Sask. extends insurance deadline to Dec. 1
Saskatchewan farmers struggling to bring in the late harvest have an extra two weeks to make crop insurance claims. The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. last week said it would extend the Nov. 15 deadline for claims and extension requests to Dec. 1. “Because of difficult conditions and the limited progress of harvest in October we […] Read more
Colony offers reward in tractor theft
Regina RCMP are looking for a thief who took a $360,000 tractor on a joyride and destroyed it. The 2009 John Deere 9630T, owned by the Lajord Hutterite Colony, was taken from a field 40 kilometres southeast of Regina between Halloween evening and Nov. 2. It was driven about 25 kilometres through the rural municipality, […] Read more
Camelina production soars to new heights
Farmers usually look to the sky for sun or rain, but soon they could have another reason to look up. Growers at a workshop in Regina last week heard that camelina has a promising future in biofuel for jets. “Biojet is an astonishingly large market,” said Jim Thomson, president of Canadian Industrial Oilseed Corp. “It […] Read more
Proposed Saskatchewan law would protect wild horses
Bob Hougham has been watching the wild ponies of Saskatchewan’s Bronson Forest for more than 50 years. So when the 86-year-old rancher learned that someone had shot several of them, for no apparent reason, he decided to act. Last week, his MLA Tim McMillan introduced legislation to protect the ponies. “It seems strange that there […] Read more
SCA to collect beef checkoff
As voting wound up last week for Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association directors, the provincial government moved to change the laws to give the organization more authority. The Agri-Food Amendment Act will repeal and change legislation to allow the SCA to handle beef check-off money. The Cattle Marketing Deductions Act and its regulations have been in place […] Read more
Fertilizer prices stabilizing; potash still too high: Yara
BELLE PLAINE, Sask. – The fertilizer market is stabilizing after a year that saw prices plummet after record highs, says the head of the world’s largest supplier. Jorgen Ole Haslestad, president and chief executive officer of Yara International ASA, said the business will likely be volatile in the short-term as the world comes out of […] Read more
Candidates outline platforms in Sask. cattle association race
ASSINIBOIA, Sask. – The four candidates took different approaches to winning votes, but the men seeking election to the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association board agreed they have producers’ interests at heart. About 175 people attended the District 3A meeting in Assiniboia Oct. 22, capping off the first week of voting by registered cattle producers. Results in […] Read more
Sask. offers traceability assistance
Saskatchewan has introduced a rebate program to help the livestock sector voluntarily move forward with traceability. Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud maintains traceability should be voluntary, but Ottawa and the other provinces have agreed that it be mandatory by 2011. He said the program will help Saskatchewan stakeholders get ready. “They’ve said we’ve got to get […] Read more
