Upcoming election in the United Kingdom may explain why little short-term hope remains on the trade agreement front
WINNIPEG — One year ago, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published an open letter to farmers in his country. The letter, released May 16, 2023, focused on agricultural trade and British government priorities for future free trade deals. Sunak listed six principles, which he says will protect and assist British farmers. Principle No. 4 was […] Read moreNews
Sask. farmer discovers space junk in field prior to seeding
Astronomer says more pieces of a Space X rocket that fell to Earth last winter are likely out there if farmers look for them
REGINA — Pieces of a SpaceX rocket found in a Saskatchewan farmer’s field raise questions about safety and who owns the debris. Barry Sawchuk, who farms near Ituna in east-central Saskatchewan, said he and his son were out looking at fields prior to seeding when they spotted what they thought was garbage. “We thought it […] Read more
SeedMaster to expand Sask. headquarters
SeedMaster announced today its intention to invest $10 million in expanding its Emerald Park, Sask., headquarters, just east of Regina. SeedMaster says it intends to add 12,000 square feet to its facility in Emerald Park, a 6,000 square foot addition to its recently-acquired 6,000 square foot building, which will bring it close to doubling its […] Read more
Pasture outlook seen as ‘cautiously optimistic’
Agronomists urge cattle producers to practise patience when they are tempted to graze immature pastures this spring
The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 won’t likely be one of them. Producers had a better feed buffer last fall. In 2022, for example, turnout was hindered by the double whammy of a cold, wet spring and the lingering impacts of the 2021 drought on feed supplies […] Read more
Ag input sales at good levels in U.S.
NEW YORK (Reuters) — Sales of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and crop care products have been near normal in the United States despite lower grain prices, while they are not as good in South America, according to agricultural input producers. Executives from companies such as Mosaic, Bayer AG and Corteva said during last week’s […] Read more
Solar storm sends field navigation haywire
In the summer of 1859, a British astronomer was investigating what looked like a group of dark specks on the sun when there was a blast of light. The flare he saw lasted five minutes. The effects lasted for two days. Telegraph systems failed so spectacularly that operators got electrical shocks from their machines. Paper […] Read more
Gene-edited wheat tested
SASKATOON — Agriculture Canada has planted its first research plots of gene-edited wheat. The experimental wheat is being grown in a small field trial at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. Related stories: The goal is to produce spring wheat lines with greater ability to receive and use sunlight, according to an Alberta Farmer Express article. A […] Read more
Microbiome revolution proposed
WINNIPEG — The hyperbole around biologicals and what they can do for crop production sounds like 10 million crickets in a suburban backyard. There’s a lot of noise around biologicals, and for good reason. Soil contains millions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that perform vital functions for plants. As a result, global agri-science firms […] Read more
Ag Notes
Crop rotation research receives funding The Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance will receive up to $5,733,852 in funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program-Clusters Component to promote more diverse crop rotations on farms. The Cropping Systems Cluster, led by the alliance, will develop characteristics and practices to encourage diverse crop rotations for soybeans, […] Read more
Canadian durum looks good but troubles lurk elsewhere
All eyes are on crop conditions in Turkey, which has turned into a powerhouse recently in the global durum market
SASKATOON — Canada’s durum crop is off to a good start, but there are problems in many other regions, says an analyst. Farmers in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta received much-needed rainfall this spring. Related stories: “They think this is the best start they’ve had in five or six years,” said Neil Townsend, chief analyst […] Read more
