A ripple of recognition rolled through the crowd when commercial vehicle enforcement officer Arthur Anderson showed photos of farm equipment transport violations. They depicted overloaded manure trucks, frayed bungee cords, broken shocks and corroded brake pots. It’s possible nobody at the Manure Management Update conference in Lethbridge had ever violated provincial road regulations, but it […] Read more
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Fewer farm vehicles violating road rules, says enforcement officer
Climate gives Canada protein advantage
Competitors in more moderate climates can see better yields, but can’t match Canadian growers’ quality
RIDGETOWN, Ont. — Canadian wheat growers can learn from their English and Irish counterparts, but it won’t undo fundamental drawbacks related to climate. Jim Orson, special adviser to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in England, said moderate winter and summer temperatures, plenty of sunshine, a lengthy growing season and adequate rainfall, especially during grain […] Read moreMosaic forecasts bigger profit
(Reuters) —Mosaic Co. estimates it will post a larger fourth-quarter profit than expected and surpassed its targets for phosphate sales. The company, which is the world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products and North America’s second-biggest potash producer, said it expects to earn 93 to 98 cents per share in the quarter, including one-time items. […] Read more
Flood risk computer model requires backing
The project would show the effect various moisture levels would have on farms and communities
RED DEER — Risk management specialists hope a project that would predict the risk of flooding in southern Alberta will receive financial approval. The $2 million risk analysis model will use existing water, soil and drought data to build a computer model that will predict flooding, said Rick McConnell, a director with Dymac Risk Management […] Read moreSoil fumigants effective but expensive
crop news clubroot Soil fumigants show potential for controlling clubroot in canola but costs may be prohibitive, those at the Jan. 21 Agronomy Update in Lethbridge were told. Sheau-fang Hwang, a plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture, has conducted several years of tests on the efficacy of metam sodium in controlling clubroot, a soil-borne disease that […] Read more
Alberta’s 2015 crop forecast: watch for clubroot, barley scald
Weather variability plays a role in whether crop problems worsen, says crop pathologist
Preparation and good agronomic practices, including crop rotation, good genetics and diligent scouting, are better protections for farmers than crop disease forecasts, says Alberta Agriculture crop pathologist Michael Harding. Speaking at the Jan. 21 Agronomy Update in Lethbridge, Harding reviewed last year’s crop disease activity in Alberta, noting weather variability and its role in crop […] Read moreClubroot widespread in Manitoba
BRANDON — If Manitoba farmers required any proof that they need to reduce the risk of clubroot and verticillium wilt through rotation and sanitation, they’re getting it now from cross-province soil testing. Manitoba Canola Growers’ soil testing laboratory is finding clubroot spores almost everywhere it looks. However, rather than being a terrifying finding, it’s simply […] Read more
Manitoba may budge on hog manure rules
Producers talking with government about alternatives to anaerobic digesters
Manitoba’s agriculture minister says the government is working with the hog industry to resolve a manure management impasse because the province needs new hog barns and more pigs. “We definitely have some appetite to explore options and ideas. That’s why we’re talking to Manitoba Pork at this point in time,” Ron Kostyshyn told reporters during […] Read moreMcDonald’s working to define sustainability
Fast food giant is assessing Canadian beef production, but how that may affect producers remains unclear
Most of the ranchers who supply McDonald’s Canada with 67 million pounds of beef a year are already sustainable, says a senior manager for the restaurant chain. The pilot project announced last year is designed to figure out how that can be demonstrated and verified so that the fast food chain can buy sustainable beef […] Read moreAg businesses decry red tape
In survey, farmers complain about inconsistent information, confusing forms and outdated rules
Farmers and other small businesses in Canada are wasting $11 billion a year on red tape, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Red tape ranked second only to tax burden on the list of irritants for the small and medium-sized businesses that the CFIB surveyed. It was No. 1 for the organization’s ag business […] Read more
