A government critic said most goals for Saskatchewan’s agricultural future in the NDP’s new economic action plan are lofty and unattainable. “They talk about it. I don’t think they’re prepared to do the things that need to be done,” said Lyle Stewart, deputy agriculture critic with the Saskatchewan Party. Premier Lorne Calvert unveiled the plan […] Read more
Stories by Lindsay Jean
Ward off farm pests by taking action now
Ignore fall cleanup at your peril, prairie agronomists caution. “It’s important that people take preliminary action to deal with pests of various sorts in their cropping or farming regimes,” said Dave Risula, an integrated cropping management systems specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. The results could be disastrous if they don’t, added Robert Spencer, an irrigated and […] Read more
Rural areas can’t match benefits in larger centres
A rural economics expert says business incentives in Saskatoon were too attractive to pass up for a new chicken processing company. “Increasingly, economic activity concentrates either in urban centres or in rural fringes around urban centres,” said Rose Olfert, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Prairie Pride Ltd.’s $15 million facility is under construction […] Read more
BSE details not required
New research from the Beef Information Centre indicates less is more when it comes to advertising, consumers and BSE safety information. “When people already have a level of trust they do not need to know all the details,” said Marg Thibeault, the centre’s national communications manager. Twenty-one focus groups were conducted in Eastern Canada based […] Read more
Lobby challenges herbicide imports
A chemical and biotech lobby group is challenging regulations that allow farmers to import a lower cost American herbicide, saying the practice endangers Canada’s regulatory system. “Our quarrel is not with the farmer; we totally understand the environment that they find themselves in,” said Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada. “We just think in the […] Read more
Glyphosate imports hit 4.1 m litres
Input costs were significantly lower this spring for some farmers who used a herbicide-specific import program. “Morally, it’s uplifting,” said Jason Hodson, who farms northeast of Virden, Man. “Finally, something is coming down on us in terms of our cost structure.” The own-use import program saved Hodson alittle less than $5,000 in herbicide costs this […] Read more
Telling the stories of farming – Editorial Notebook
Listening to farming stories was part of my life on the Prairies. My grandfather always had a story to tell and they all began with “I remember when…” Swathed wheat rolling over hills, riding in the combine on my grandfather’s knee and delivering home-cooked meals to my father in the field- these are my memories […] Read more
Lilydale lays off workers
Lilydale, which recently announced more than 100 layoffs at its chicken processing plant in Wynyard, Sask., said the action was unavoidable. “There’s a new competitor in the province and that’s affected our actual numbers that we will be processing and that has led directly to the layoffs,” said Rob Willmott, senior director of sales for […] Read more
Turkeys ride new fast food wave
Healthier choices at fast food restaurants are having a healthy impact on the bottom lines of Canadian turkey producers. Turkey production has reached 56 million kilograms so far this year, almost six million kg higher than at the same time last year. John Sheldon with the Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency said the increase can be […] Read more
Ag enrolment grows despite difficult year
Agriculture programs in colleges and universities in Western Canada are showing healthy enrolments despite a challenging year for the industry. “The farming community still hurts, you know, no matter how we look at it,” said Cheryl Lumley, the associate registrar at Olds College in Olds, Alta. “But we’ve been very fortunate to be able to […] Read more
