The National Farmers Union is conducting a farmer survey to learn more about how grain growers are being treated when they deliver grain to a country elevator. “The NFU is starting to hear repeated stories of grain farmers being dissatisfied with their treatment by elevator companies,” said NFU president Jan Slomp. “We are hearing stories […] Read more
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NFU seeks farmer input on treatment at elevators
Study to tally carbon tax cost to commodity sector
Supply managed groups want to examine price increases throughout the supply chain to determine the impact on agriculture
RED DEER — Alberta commodity groups want to learn the true costs to their businesses since the provincial carbon levy went into effect earlier this year. The supply managed groups of chicken, turkey, eggs, hatching eggs and dairy as well as Alberta Pork want to work with the province to examine the added costs from […] Read moreVomitoxin may prompt service expansion
The Canadian Grain Commission is considering the merits of offering expanded services to farmers, particularly in the areas of vomitoxin testing, falling number testing and binding dispute arbitration in cases where growers feel that grain prices have been unfairly discounted. Anthony Rowan, the commission’s program manager for national inspector training and development, said the CGC […] Read more
Carbon conversion centre created to promote innovation
The Alberta and federal governments have each earmarked $10 million for a facility that will test technologies that convert carbon dioxide emissions into usable products. In a March 3 announcement, federal Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr and Alberta Minister of Economic Development and Trade Deron Bilous applauded the pending formation of the Alberta Carbon […] Read more
Dry weather improves Amazon export routes
SÃO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — Dry weather improved conditions on a rugged Amazon road that serves as the key link between soy fields and northern ports, ending an immense backlog of trucks carrying the beans, the Brazilian army said March 6. Rains were heavier than normal for weeks, turning an unpaved section of the BR-163 […] Read more
Ag committee gives policy input
The House of Commons agriculture committee has tabled 18 recommendations in a report to the federal government on what the next agriculture policy framework should contain. The federal, provincial and territorial ministers are expected to sign the next five-year agreement in St. John’s in July, although Saskatchewan minister Lyle Stewart said they are still in […] Read more
AG Notes
Nominations for beef researchers Nominations are open until May 1 for the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The award is presented by the Beef Cattle Research Council to recognize a researcher or scientist whose work has contributed to advancements in the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry. A selection […] Read more
Demand grows for vomitoxin cleaning services
Not long ago, a lot of prairie farmers would balk at the notion of running their commercial grain through a gravity table, colour sorter or cleaner before delivering it to an elevator. However, with fusarium graminearum and its toxic vomitoxin sidekick deoxynivalenol (DON) stealing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars a year from Canadian farm […] Read more
Potato diseases may lurk on imported tulip bulbs
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — It’s bad enough that the disease that causes blackleg in potatoes and carrots, Pectobacterium, is widespread in North America. Now two closely related anaerobic bacterial diseases, more virulent in nature, pose an added threat. Vikram Bisht, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, said Dickeya dianthicola has already found its way to […] Read more
Trump wants 21 pct USDA budget cut; food, rural water hit
CHICAGO, March 16 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Congress on Thursday to approve a 2018 budget that would bolster military programs and begin building a wall on the southern border with Mexico while drastically cutting many federal agencies. Trump’s plan took a big swipe at some federal institutions, envisaging a more than […] Read more
