BRANDON — Farmers can be wrong when they think they suddenly have a salinity situation in their fields. They might have the salinity, but it might not be new. “When I hear people in the (Red River) valley say ‘I’ve never seen salinity before,’ I don’t think that’s so much the problem,” said Manitoba Agriculture […] Read more
News
Soybeans could reveal hidden salinity problem
Alberta launches survey; seeks input on Bill 6
RED DEER, Alta. — An online survey by Alberta crop commissions hopes to gather farmer input about new farm safety legislation. Within hours of the survey being released Jan. 15, more than 300 people had filled out the survey, a sign farmers are interested in helping to shape the controversial farm bill, said Kent Erickson, […] Read more
VIDEO: Do cold calculations before buying equipment
BRANDON —The costs and benefits of buying new equipment can vary dramatically depending on why it’s being bought. That’s why producers have to apply different math to their equipment-buying decisions that accounts for why they are thinking of buying something new, say Manitoba Agriculture farm management specialists. “Try to take the emotion out of it […] Read more
More farmers switching to organics
The allure of high organic prices has become irresistible for some growers. Industry representatives say 2015 was a fantastic year for Canada’s organic grain sector with the number of new producers jumping substantially. “I’ve done more inspections for new, transitioning growers in 2015 than I (have) in many years beforehand,” said Stuart McMillan, an organic […] Read more
Monsanto sues to keep herbicide off California list of carcinogens
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Monsanto has stepped up its defense of glyphosate by filing a lawsuit in California seeking to prevent the state from adding the herbicide to its list of known carcinogens. The company filed the suit against the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the agency’s acting director, Lauren Zeise. California […] Read more
CP to shed 1,000 jobs
Canadian Pacific Railway will reduce its North American workforce by as many as 1,000 people this year in response to reduced freight volumes, lower demand for rail services and improved operational efficiencies that reduce labour requirements. In a Jan. 21 conference call with investors, CP chief executive Hunter Harrison said most of the job cuts […] Read more
Manitoba Ag Days
Manitoba Ag Days kicks off this week, running Tuesday through Thursday January 19 to 21. Producers from across Canada and the central United States will gather in Brandon to take in the latest agricultural production expertise, technology, and equipment. Western Producer reporters will have daily coverage of the show, and you’ll be able to follow […] Read more
B.C. farmers say rules promote safety culture
LANGLEY, B.C. — As manager of Nicola Ranch, Matt Williams takes safety seriously. Four times a year, workers complete a full safety inspection of the farm and ranch. Each month, they attend a formalized safety meeting to discuss safety topics, such as power saw or seat belt safety. Each day, they hold “tailgate” farm safety […] Read more
Farmers hear about new crop lines
Prairie farmers got a sneak preview last week at some of the country’s most promising new agricultural crops. They included new durum varieties with significantly higher yields, spring wheat lines with improved fusarium tolerance and new high-yielding red lentils expected to outyield check varieties by as much as 10 percent. The new products, some of […] Read more
Winnipeg terminal announced
BroadGrain’s plan, which includes a bean processing plant, would boost city’s inland port project
BroadGrain Commodities is the latest company to announce a major investment in Western Canada’s grain handling infrastructure. The Toronto-based grain company announced Jan. 14 that it plans to spend up to $25 million building a new high throughput elevator in Winnipeg, as well as a bean-processing and container packing facility. The new facilities will be […] Read more
