A moratorium on new or expanded hog operations in Manitoba could see investment going Saskatchewan’s way. Harvey Wagner, manager of producer services for Sask Pork, said it’s a case of certainty versus uncertainty. “The premier and minister of agriculture have said quite clearly that the hog industry in Saskatchewan has an important role,” Wagner said. […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Winter wheat acres rise on Prairies
Seeded prairie winter wheat acreage shot up 60 percent in fall 2006, climbing to 1.2 million acres. Statistics Canada reported last month that total Canadian winter wheat acreage declined slightly from last year, dropping from 1.865 million acres to 1.839 million. However, the increase on the Prairies is welcome news to those who work to […] Read more
Spending time with cattle offers production benefits
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – The old cowboy art of herding cattle is back in style. But herding is not the same as harassment, warned Jeff Mosley, professor of range science at Montana State University. “It’s being in tune with animals and using the knowledge to move them where you want them to be,” he said. […] Read more
Sask. cattle herd down slightly
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – The number of Saskatchewan cattle has started to level off, but there are still a lot of cattle out there, says the province’s beef economist. Sandy Russell said a decline of 2.4 percent as of July 1, 2006, indicates that cattle numbers are coming back in check. However, there are still […] Read more
Organizers of good meetings do their homework
Community organizations, church groups, service clubs, workplaces – a lot of us spend a lot of time at meetings. But if you’ve ever left one wondering why you had attended or what had been accomplished, it might be time to examine the process. David Colman of TriOpus Group said the first question for any organization […] Read more
Raising birds can be hair raising
Raising 90,000 chickens at one time is not an easy task. But at least chickens don’t have to be milked, said Diane Pastoor, a former dairy farmer who switched to poultry production when she, husband Mark and their four children moved to Saskatchewan in 2003. “B.C. is pretty crowded,” she said of the move. “We […] Read more
Wings fly off plates
About 30 years ago, Robin Horel was a salesman for Canada Packers in Saskatoon. “Wings were the cheapest item on my price list,” he said. Today, he’s the president of the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council and said chicken wings are now more expensive when compared to the rest of the bird. “They cost […] Read more
Agricore United takeover not over yet: Pool CEO
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool’s takeover attempt of Agricore United is far from over, chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt said Dec. 13, the same day the AU board recommended shareholders reject the deal. Schmidt told reporters at the pool’s annual meeting that AU’s response was not a surprise and the process was going ahead as expected. He […] Read more
Pool to focus on business development
Taking over its larger rival isn’t the only thing on the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool agenda. Chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt said after the company’s first year as a Canadian business corporation it is well positioned to take advantage of good soil moisture, rising commodity prices and industry optimism. “Our strong close to 2006 and our […] Read more
Expansion in irrigated land could spur biofuel
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Irrigated crops could provide a competitive advantage to biofuel production facilities, says an agribusiness development specialist. John Ippolito, of Saskatchewan Agriculture in Outlook, said a stable feedstock supply located within 200 kilometres of a plant could reduce acquisition costs and even out supply problems. But he also said that taking advantage […] Read more
