History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes. That piece of wisdom, often attributed to Mark Twain, seems appropriate for the devastating drought that has hit most of Western Canada. Some aspects are the same as previous droughts and some have a different twist. One unique feature is the rapid rise in grain prices occurring […] Read more
Author Archives
Rising grain prices make this drought different
Salvaged crop is cattle producers’ best hope
Various programs have been implemented in drought years going back to the early 1980s in an attempt to make feed available for cattle producers. The drought response announced recently by Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit is the most logical and impactful I can remember. In the past, support programs to transport hay have been implemented. […] Read more
Producers do not need a lecture on climate change
Dried-up crops hurt both your pocketbook and your self-esteem, but what I find particularly irksome is when some armchair quarterback says it’s all because of climate change. Yes, a number of temperature records have been broken. Yes, it’s been abnormally dry in many areas. Yes, there are fields that won’t see a combine. Guess what, […] Read more
Recent heat wave takes toll as dry crops suffer
Record-breaking heat over an extended period of time has trimmed the prairie crop dramatically. A record heat wave is bad enough when the soil has decent moisture. Where soil moisture was marginal, production potential has been severely reduced. Even in areas where moisture has been limited, the crop was looking pretty good. Then the potential […] Read more
Recent crush announcements herald yellow wave
The planned expansion of canola crushing capacity in Saskatchewan is nothing short of amazing and will have wide-reaching ramifications. Here’s a recap of recent announcements. Ceres Global is planning a 1.1 million tonne facility near Northgate along the United States border. Cargill has plans for a one million tonne crush plant in Regina. Meanwhile, Viterra […] Read more
Herbicide use can be needlessly complicated
Herbicide use is more complicated than it needs to be. The trouble starts with units of measure and extends through to recommended practices. Once you’ve chosen an in-crop herbicide, the most basic question is how many acres per jug or per litre. All too often, it’s difficult to find the answer. Yes, rates vary for […] Read more
Boom times bring with them unique challenges
Economically, the grain sector has rarely been more buoyant and optimistic. Grain prices have surged and drought worries have been reduced by the recent widespread rains. This comes as grain sector income levels were already showing significant increases. It’s the best of times, but that comes with ramifications. The most recent data on land prices […] Read more
Crop envy hard to resist but provides limited research value
I admit it, I suffer from crop envy. Every time I drive down a road during the growing season my head is on a swivel looking at the crops on both sides of the road. When I see one that looks nicer than mine, I wonder what that grower did that I didn’t. The opposite […] Read more
Improved varieties would reduce herbicide waste
Here are some random ideas for cutting waste, cutting costs and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Alfalfa is a great forage crop, but as a grain producer who collaborates with cattle producing neighbours, I see it as a difficult-to-control weed. While this deep-rooted perennial will sometimes be killed over winter, trying to kill it with […] Read more
Economic disparity widens between grain, cattle
One of the few possible ways to lose money growing barley this year is to feed it to your own cattle. Of course, the threat of not growing a decent crop always exists and there’s also the possibility of a dramatic drop in new crop barley prices if you don’t lock in any values in […] Read more
