COVID-19 changed the way farmers marketed their products, according to the agricultural census data collected last year. Statistics Canada said farmers, mainly those who grow fruits and vegetables, moved increasingly to direct delivery to consumers rather than selling from stands. Half of the farms that reported direct sales used delivery. Overall, farms that use direct […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Farmers adopt more sustainability practices
Statistics Canada says farmers are adopting more sustainable practices to cope with climate change. Agricultural census data released May 11 shows 64.5 percent of farms reported using “land practice methods” such as winter grazing, rotational grazing, plow-downs of green crops, winter cover crops and shelterbelts or windbreaks. The percentage is up from 53.7 percent in […] Read more
Ag census data released: farm consolidation continues
UPDATED: added farm numbers graphics – 1435 CST May 11, 2022 – Data from the 2021 agriculture census shows that the trend toward farm consolidation and older operators is continuing. Statistics Canada released the first tranche of data from last year’s census today. The number of farms dropped 1.9 percent to 189,874. However, the definition […] Read more
Sask. program may help producers hit by spring storms
Provincial Disaster Assistance Program will for the first time provide compensation for losses caused by snowstorms
Saskatchewan livestock producers affected by recent blizzards may be eligible for help under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program. Kelcy Elford, president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, said some producers suffered devastating losses in the last couple of spring storms. “We welcome the government’s quick response to the financial devastation they’re going to face going […] Read more
Sask. funds ag field research projects
Six recipients are sharing $484,000 from Saskatchewan’s strategic field program for research projects this year. The federal-provincial cost-shared program funds projects at the field scale to demonstrate and evaluate certain practices and technologies. The idea is to provide producers with new information to enhance their long-term sustainability and competitiveness. The 2022 projects include: • $158,660 […] Read more
Sask. renews support for 4R fertilizer program
Saskatchewan has renewed its commitment to the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program for three years. A memorandum of co-operation with Fertilizer Canada was signed in 2016 to support education, training and expansion of the fertilizer management program that advocates right source, right rate, right time and right place. Saskatchewan accounts for 46 percent of all the […] Read more
Environmental targets divide farm program talks
Canada’s federal and provincial agriculture ministers are expected to sign the next policy framework in July but remain divided over environmental targets. They met in Ottawa May 2 to discuss aspects of the five-year partnership. “We have challenges. We have different views on different things but we’re really working hard to find compromise and a […] Read more
Sask. livestock aid covers more RMs
The list of Saskatchewan rural municipalities in which cattle producers will be eligible for disaster assistance is growing. As of May 4, producers in the RMs of Antler, Argyle, Browning, Coalfields, Enniskillen, Golden West, Happy Valley, Kingsley, Moose Creek, Moose Mountain, Moosomin, Mount Pleasant and Silverwood are all eligible to apply through the Provincial Disaster […] Read more
Dead wild birds found as avian flu outbreak continues
Federal environment department recommends leaving carcasses alone but to use caution if landowners must pick them up
Migratory flyways are littered with the carcasses of dead birds, many of them snow geese, due to the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Environment and Climate Change Canada said it had received 100 mortality reports from 35 Saskatchewan rural municipalities, ranging from a single bird to more than 100, although it couldn’t say […] Read more
Fertilizer petition launched
An e-petition drawing attention to Ottawa’s pledge to reduce emissions from fertilizer use is making its way through the House of Commons process. Manitoba Conservative MP Dan Mazier said the more signatures the better. Ottawa wants emissions from fertilizer reduced by 30 percent by 2030. Petition e-3940 calls on the government to work with farmers […] Read more
