Crop Management
A booster shot of rain falling across southern Alberta and the last major irrigation district closing its canal will buoy dwindling reservoir and river levels as the first week of October ends. But the short-term forecast will see a return of warm, dry conditions and the seasonal forecast is unclear, though El Nino is expected […] Read more
Crop Management
Robots work around the clock
SwarmFarm’s new machines eliminate a key autonomous bottleneck by resupplying themselves all on their own
An Australian company that seeks to revolutionize farming by replacing large, human-operated equipment with smaller autonomous robots has created machines that can resupply themselves with chemicals without assistance. The new ability of SwarmFarm Robotics’ equipment to “dock and refill” eliminates a key bottleneck in the technology’s development, said chief executive officer Andrew Bate. The company’s […] Read more
Agco buys 85 percent of Trimble in $2 billion deal
Financial arrangement also puts all four components of Agco’s grain and protein business under review
Agco has acquired 85 percent of Trimble Ag assets and technologies at a cash price of $2 billion. The deal was announced as a joint venture Sept. 28. An Agco release said it creates a precision ag platform that enables Trimble to provide a variety of technologies compatible across major brands and equipment models. Andrew […] Read more
India’s monsoon starts retreat
MUMBAI, India (Reuters) — India’s monsoon rains started to withdraw from the northwest of the country on Sept. 25, more than a week later than normal, the state-run India Meteorological Department said in a statement. The monsoon, the lifeblood of India’s US$3 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70 percent of the rain needed to water its […] Read more
Canola, soybean growers want in on aviation fuel tax credit
Canola and soybean growers are lobbying to have their crops recognized as eligible feedstocks for the new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit in the United States. The credit is contained in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden last year. The value of that credit will be determined by […] Read more
Verticillium spreads in Saskatchewan
Anecdotal evidence suggests that verticillium is moving north and west across Saskatchewan. In 2022, Saskatchewan Agriculture staff discovered that verticillium stripe, a disease of canola, was commonplace in the eastern part of the province. This fall, producers in other regions have found the disease in their canola. “I’ve got verticillium in Davidson like you wouldn’t […] Read more
Major durum region likely to see better weather
A key durum growing and consuming region of the world should be in better shape in 2024 than it has been the past few years, according to a weather expert. Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc., expects El Nino to bring improved growing conditions to North Africa and Spain during the critical part of […] Read more
Big Turkish crop shocks durum market
A bumper crop unexpectedly puts Turkey in a position to grab most of Canada's share of the market in the European Union
The durum market has taken a “wild” turn as Turkey has suddenly emerged as a major force in the export market. “This is something that caught everybody off guard, especially Canadian exporters,” said Jonathan Meyer, merchandiser with Purely Canada Foods. “It has really saved the day for pasta producers because if it wasn’t for Turkey, […] Read more
Persistent crop estimate discrepancies lead to uncertainty
Sask. crop insurance acreage data is substantially different from Statistics Canada's numbers for many small-acre crops
Pulse and special crops growers and traders should get used to significant discrepancies between federal and provincial agencies when it comes to gauging the size of the Canadian crop, says an analyst. The bulk of those crops are grown in Saskatchewan where the provincial government often seems at odds with Statistics Canada. “It’s going to […] Read more
Prairie harvest stays ahead of five-year average
Dry conditions across the region continue to leave many producers without adequate soil moisture as harvest wraps up
Harvest continues across the Prairies with completion rates continuing to surpass provincial and regional five-year averages. Producers in Alberta are 65 percent complete, a 21 percent increase compared to last week, according to the Alberta crop report released on Sept. 22. Producers in the south are nearly 91 percent finished on all crops, an increase […] Read more
