Had the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol, it could have met all of its greenhouse gas reduction commitments simply by shifting to organic agriculture. That is one finding from a long-running agronomic experiment comparing organic and conventional cropping systems. Researchers at Pennsylvania’s Rodale Institute said organic agriculture could be one of the most powerful […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Processors fed up with bond system
Special crops processors want to move from the Canadian Grain Commission’s grain security system to one administered and funded by producers. They say the commission’s licence and bonding system, which forces grain companies to take out letters of credit in case of default, is far too onerous. “It’s a rather expensive system and uses up […] Read more
Cattle producers, next PM cosy up
Prime-minister-in-waiting Paul Martin is already receiving kudos from western cattle ranchers for his response to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis. “At least he has had the decency to come out and meet with the cattle producers. We never even once heard from Chrétien. He just kind of stayed off the trail,” said Blair Vold, one […] Read more
Meat packers may be put through grinder
Canadian packers should brace themselves for an angry backlash when the American border reopens to live cattle exports, says a well-known Alberta auction mart owner. Cattle producers are full of bitterness and resentment over perceived ill treatment at the hands of the packing industry, said Blair Vold, president of Vold, Jones and Vold Auction Co. […] Read more
Pulse processors must be nimble
One of the biggest buyers of Canadian pulses says the days of big premiums for desi chickpeas are long gone. Peter Wilson, president of J.K. International Pty Ltd., said India, which he described as the engine room of the pulse industry, has curtailed its purchases of chickpeas in favour of another crop. “The yellow pea […] Read more
Peas may be used as feed more often
Pea marketers have to use their heads to figure out how to sell more product to creatures with tails. That was the message two University of Saskatchewan feed researchers delivered at the Processing for Profit conference held in Saskatoon Dec. 3. They said there is a vast and largely untapped potential for peas in hog […] Read more
Soil moisture levels low
Reports of fall soil moisture levels could cause a little dampness around producers’ eyes. The situation is reminiscent of 2001, the driest fall in 100 years. That dehydrated season kicked off the drought of 2002, a crop year that is etched in farmers’ minds like cracks in the ground. “We’re sort of nipping on the […] Read more
Pulse industry woes continue
Another Saskatchewan pulse processing plant is in trouble. After only a few years in the business, Mainline Pulse Inc. of Chaplin, Sask., has closed its doors, at least on a temporary basis. The company joins a long list of failed and faltering special crops businesses. “There are others that appear to be in trouble,” said […] Read more
Green payments could affect taxes
The federal government’s Greencover Canada program will pay about $2 million to farmers in its first year of operation, but some producers don’t want their share just yet. “We get mixed messages from the producer community right now, some hoping to see the money before the end of the calendar year and others hoping not […] Read more
India’s pulse drive bad for Canada
It looks as though fears of an impressive pulse harvest in India were well founded. The first advance estimate of the country’s kharif, or summer, crop was recently released at the National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign 2003-04. Indian officials expect kharif pulse production to reach 5.44 million tonnes this year, up 42 percent […] Read more
