Save the bees. That has been a rallying cry in recent years, leading to greater public awareness about the importance of pollinators, especially honeybees. But it isn’t honeybees that society should worry about, said Megan Evans, president of the Alberta Native Bee Council. It’s wild bees that are in peril, yet public perception of that […] Read more
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Wanted: hay and feed for purchase
Hundreds of livestock producers in Manitoba are facing hay and feed shortages, because a two-year drought has cut forage production by half or worse this summer. To help producers who are short on feed, the Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Manitoba Beef Producers are urging farmers to publicly list all sources of hay, straw and […] Read more
American ag to China smaller, now stopped
China bought small amounts of American soybeans, wheat, sorghum and pork last week ahead of the latest escalation of trade tensions with Washington, according to United States government data issued recently, in what may be the last American farm commodity sales to China for the foreseeable future. China’s Ministry of Commerce said last week that […] Read more
UV light increases vitamin D in chicken eggs
A lack of vitamin D can lead to brittle and painful bones, muscle weakness and a variety of health risks. During summer, people are able to get about 90 percent of their daily requirements naturally through the skin by exposure to the sun. The remainder is consumed through foods such as oily fish or chicken […] Read more
Weather extremes devastate yields: study
International researchers have more precisely measured how extreme weather events driven by a changing climate can devastate crop yields. Hot and cold temperature extremes, drought and heavy precipitation account for 18 to 43 percent of variations in global yields for maize, spring wheat, rice and soybeans. “Climate extremes such as heat waves or droughts can […] Read more
U.S. Midwest bankers see farm loan repayment problems hit 20-year high
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Midwest bankers reported that the percentage of farm loans their customers are having problems repaying hit a 20-year high in the second quarter this year, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Farm incomes also dropped for the period, as record floods devastated a wide […] Read more
Bayer cancels plans to sell product in 2020 over skin irritation
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Bayer has scrapped plans for wide sales next year of a chemical that is intended to protect crops from yield-robbing worms, citing ongoing safety concerns. Bayer decided not to offer the Monsanto product called NemaStrike Technology broadly after reviewing the experiences farmers and applicators had with it this year, according to […] Read more
Prairie road work has a Punjabi connection
It might be surprising to know that many of the gravel crews working in Western Canada are from the Pnjab region of India. “We have 20 guys on the crew here, and 17 are from the Punjab,” says Jag Sandhu, on the job near Val Marie, Sask. “There are lots of Punjabi drivers working in […] Read more
African cattle investing; the new cash cow?
JOHANNESBURG/VRYHEID, South Africa, (Reuters) — Cattle have long been considered a measure of wealth across Africa, but it is not just farmers cashing in. A pioneering app in South Africa lets investors, eager to benefit from rising global beef demand, buy shares in a cow from their mobile phone for as little as 576 rand […] Read more
Fighting for dairy quota called monthly battle
Ontario farmers say they are having a hard time finding extra quota to accommodate the ups and downs of butterfat production
Dairy farmers in Canada who wish to expand are finding it tough to find extra butterfat quota. William and Vicky Morrison with their son Scott, 15, and daughter Jane, 11, milk 180 cows on their farm just outside Woodslee, Ont. With a milk price averaging 75 cents per litre, dairy farming is paying the bills […] Read more
