Ric Swihart

How do you spell high yielding wheat? Try this: BW252. A newly registered hard red spring wheat going by that name has a bin-busting 25 percent yield advantage over Neepawa and 14 percent over AC Barrie. “The high yield is certainly going to catch people’s attention,” said Agriculture Canada wheat breeder Fred Townley-Smith, who developed […] Read more

Two United Nations agencies have started a four-year study into genetically modified foods and at least one Canadian farm leader fears it could “muddy the waters” of international rules for trade in GMOs. Last week, the Codex Alimentarius Commission Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology began hearings in Japan. It is sponsored by the […] Read more

Brewers are among the world’s most exacting customers. One reason for this fussines is that while beer making is a high tech industry, many brewers cling to traditions dating back to Bavarian brewing laws written 500 years ago. Industry consolidation is another factor, said Blair Louden, who procures malting barley in Canada for ConAgra Ltd. […] Read more

These days, it’s rare to get an agricultural research grant with few strings attached and no matching funds from an industry partner. Researchers involved with a new pesticide-free production project say they give credit to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council for giving them a break. The council, made up mainly of rural Manitobans and farmers, […] Read more

Durum prices might increase a little next year, says an Agriculture Canada forecast, but it is too early to make a firm prediction. Growers are disappointed this year by the rare occasion of milling wheat prices topping values for the pasta-making grain. The last time that happened was in 1990-1991. World durum values in United […] Read more

The Manitoba government is kicking in $50,000 toward the cost of a water main and sewer line to a new flour mill near Elie, Man. A small group of farmers built the $6 million Prairie Flour Mills Ltd. last year. Rural development minister Len Derkach congratulated the farmers who built the flour mill saying, “Prairie […] Read more

Agricultural scholarships Merial Canada Inc. has set aside money to develop 50 new $1,000 Ivomec scholarships. To qualify, applicants must write a 400-750 word essay on a topic chosen by scholarship organizers. As well, applicants must be 16 years or older, have been 4-H members for at least two years and have been registered as […] Read more

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Amaranth, quinoa, borage, fenugreek and lathyrus sound like ancient Greek gods, but they are actually some of the exotic special crops available for viewing at the Soil and Crop Diagnostic Field School at the Lethbridge Agriculture Centre. Beata Lees, who works for Alberta Wheat Pool in Lethbridge, said there are three major […] Read more

The last cheques from the Gross Revenue Insurance Plan were expected to be mailed to 30,000 Alberta farmers by mid-February. Farmers will share $21 million left in the account as surplus money, said officials with Alberta Agriculture. The money represents farmers’ share of the difference between premiums paid into the program and claims paid out […] Read more

It could be called the case of the mysteriously disappearing yield. Overall, 1996 produced the highest-ever average yield for Canadian canola and the trend for yields has steadily improved thanks to new varieties and better management. However, in recent years some growers have also reported disappointing production. In some cases the reason was clear: insects […] Read more