Farmers and ranchers in southwestern Saskatchewan already provide habitat for species at risk, and a new voluntary program aims to help them do even more. The Species at Risk Partnership on Agricultural Lands, which was announced last week, will be administered by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. It is a five-year, $2.58 million fund provided […] Read more
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Farmers get more incentives for habitat protection
Farmers need to ensure buyer acceptance
A crop product may be registered in Canada, but that doesn’t mean importers will accept it; producers told they must ask
ST JEAN BAPTISTE, Man. — There are lots of ways farmers can end up producing grain that buyers won’t buy because of chemical residues. Manitoba Agriculture weed specialist Jeanette Gaultier said farmers need to understand that it’s not good enough for a crop product to be registered and commercially available. They also need to know that […] Read moreMacAulay talks trade in Washington
Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay’s first official visit to Washington focused on trade ties with the United States, including the fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. MacAulay met with US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack Jan. 14. “There was a lengthy discussion on TPP and he was indicating the pros and cons, as I was too, and […] Read more
New Zealand growers tap market for seed
RIDGETOWN, Ont. —North Americans who consider New Zealand probably conjur up images of a flightless bird, sheep and dairy cattle or possibly a fine bottle of wine. However, Graeme Jones, arable business manager of PGG Wrightson Seeds, says we should also think of seed production. “New Zealand produces about 45 percent of the world’s carrot […] Read more
Funding deal will speed research into disease, pest resistant durum
The University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre has announced another major funding agreement to support its plant breeding programs. CDC has signed a multi-year funding agreement with the Sask-atchewan Wheat Development Commission and SeCan. The deal will see SaskWheat and SeCan commit as much as $3.5 million in cash and in-kind contributions over 10 years. […] Read more
Fertilizer project gets the nod
Farmers of North America plans to be “moving dirt” on its fertilizer distribution supercentre project this summer. The group has raised $15.3 million in offers from farmer investors in its Genesis Grain and Fertilizer project. “Achieving our minimum target is not only a major milestone in the vision and future of Genesis, it’s historic,” said […] Read more
U.S. diet rules take bite out of sugar consumption
NEW YORK, New York (Reuters) — If the U.S. government has its way, Americans would cut their consumption of sugar and corn syrup by more than two million tonnes a year, the latest blow for a sweetener industry facing an onslaught of criticism over negative health effects. The U.S. government has issued new dietary guidelines […] Read more
EU food agency defends glyphosate finding
Almost 100 senior scientists had criticized a European Union report that found the herbicide is unlikely to cause cancer
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) — The head of Europe’s food safety watchdog has written to a group of senior scientists, strongly rejecting their criticisms in a row about the safety of glyphosate. The European Food Safety Authority, which advises European Union policy makers, issued an opinion in November that gly-phosate is unlikely to cause cancer. It […] Read moreGrowth promotants’ role in making cattle bigger unclear
STE. ROSE DU LAC, Man. — Research shows that slaughter steers are 29 percent heavier and heifers are 45 percent heavier than they were three decades ago. However, it’s unclear how much growth promotants have contributed to those gains. Tim McAllister, an Agriculture Canada cattle nutrition expert in Lethbridge, is leading a team of scientists […] Read more
Beef industry reducing greenhouse gas share
New study finds that the industry has reduced emissions while at the same time increased productivity
STE. ROSE DU LAC, Man. — A new study has found that Canada’s beef industry emits 3.6 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases. Putting that in context, the country’s cars, trains, buses and planes produce 25 percent of national emissions, according to Environment Canada. The data might prompt beef producers to ask an obvious question: […] Read more
