The railways supplied 68 percent of requested hopper cars in Week 33, up from 53 percent during the previous week
Transport Minister Marc Garneau said last week he monitors grain movement daily to make sure progress is made on the rail backlog. The minister told the standing committee on transport March 21 that service from Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway has improved after unacceptable levels. “It is moving very efficiently at this point […] Read moreNews
Transport minister says grain movement is improving
Rip those root-balls
BRANDON — Clearing bush for pasture allows a farmer to leave root- balls in the ground. However, root-balls have to go if the re-claimed bush is to be converted to cropland. If those trees are eight inches in diameter or smaller, Mike Notch can sell you a Notch Tree Puller that can rip them out […] Read more
Golden Rice gets OK from Canada
Health Canada has approved the sale of a genetically modified crop that isn’t intended for sale in this country, and that has a GMO critic wondering what is going on. On March 16, the federal department gave the regulatory nod to Provitamin A Biofortified Rice Event GR2E, otherwise known as Golden Rice. “It was determined […] Read more
AFSC hires new CEO following expense scandal
Steve Blakely has been hired to work for the crown corporation for three years; former executives won’t be charged
No criminal charges will be laid against three former AFSC executives after an investigation found they engaged in questionable purchasing practices and racked up lavish expenses. Alberta Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier said the RCMP completed its investigation into the executives at AFSC, also known as Agriculture Financial Services Corp., but couldn’t lay charges because their […] Read moreMan. budget draws favourable reaction; carbon tax rankles
Manitoba farmer groups were generally happy with the 2018-19 provincial budget, although the implications of the soon-to-be-imposed carbon tax hangs over their heads. It appeared to be seen as a budget that made modest improvements in areas that affect farming, without providing big money or ambitious promises. “We were pretty pleased with it,” said Manitoba […] Read more
Number of landfills shrinking in Sask.
The days of the small rural garbage dump are long gone but waste disposal remains an issue in Saskatchewan. Stringent regulations have made it difficult for municipalities to operate landfills but the cost of closing them is also a problem. Premier Scott Moe had promised a review of landfills during the recent Saskatchewan Party leadership […] Read more
Agricultural technology attracts venture capital money
A record amount of venture capital money flowed into agrifood technology companies around the world in 2017. Investors spent US$10.1 billion on the sector, up 29 percent from the previous year, according to a report by AgFunder, an online venture capital platform. The company tracks investment in start-up businesses in the agrifood industry, which remains […] Read more
Scientist takes aim at red meat-health risk link
USDA official was a dissenter when the International Agency for Research on Cancer linked red meat to cancer
HOUSTON, Texas — When American journalist Nina Teicholz published her book The Big Fat Surprise, she upset commonly held theories about diet and health. “The low-fat diet cannot be shown to be effective at fighting obesity, diabetes, heart disease or any kind of cancer,” she said at the recent International Livestock Congress held in Houston. […] Read morePost pregnancy transition key to cow health
Many of the problems that show up in cows around calving time and during spring can be linked to nutrition and diet
Producers can do a better job of managing their cattle by getting in front of potential issues as cows transition from pregnancy to lactation. “I think a good general recommendation is that prevention can really curb a lot of these diseases in terms of making sure (cattle are) on winter feeds that have been tested […] Read more‘Fish cops’ not part of new legislation: Ottawa
Protections for fisheries won’t interfere with irrigation and drainage projects, federal minister assures producers
Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc says prairie farmers shouldn’t expect visits from so-called fish cops if amendments to the Fisheries Act go ahead. Bill C-68 proposes changes to the act, but restoring departmental staff on the Prairies to previous levels is not one of them. “Twenty years ago, we had probably 200 enforcement officers who […] Read more
