It’s been an eventful two years since CWB took its first steps into Western Canada’s newly deregulated grain market. And the next two years are shaping up to be every bit as interesting. Between now and July 31, 2016, CWB will take another important step toward privatization. By law, the former wheat board must devise […] Read more
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Fewer hunting licences, shorter season as deer populations decline
White-tailed and mule deer populations are declining across much of the Prairies. An estimated 49 percent decrease in white-tailed deer numbers in Saskatchewan has prompted the government to change the length of the hunting season, while mule deer numbers have dropped to 22,000 from 43,000 in 2001. Several severe winters in the province have been […] Read more
Troubles pile up for grain handlers after record U.S. corn harvest
Yields above expectations There will be ‘piles and piles’ of surplus, says analyst
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — The giant corn harvest that is about to hit full stride in the U.S. Midwest looks set to overwhelm storage and pile up outdoors, which raises quality issues and makes it hard to keep supplies moving. This year’s record corn crop of 14.4 billion bushels would fill up 60 percent of […] Read moreMaximize capital gains exemption
Taking advantage of capital gains deductions associated with the selling of qualified farm property might be an appealing way for farmers to reduce their tax bills on such sales. However, the calculations surrounding these deductions are so complicated and detailed that farmers might get a lot less than they bargained for, including reduced benefit from […] Read more
Experts eager to find sources of pathogens
Food, animals and water National surveillance programs collect data on illnesses and test food in grocery stores
TORONTO — Nasty food poisoning bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli are under surveillance. “Food- and water-borne illness are complex and there are lots of ways you can get them, and they require multiple surveillance approaches,” said Lisa Landry, director of enteric surveillance at the Public Health Agency of Canada. “We are trying to […] Read moreOfficials happy with Alberta sugar beet yields
Harvest of southern Alberta’s 22,000 acres of sugar beets began Oct. 1 under good digging conditions and good yields. “The beets look incredibly good,” said Gerald Third, executive director of Alberta Sugar Beet Growers. He said better than average yields of 28 to 30 tonnes per acre were reported in the initial days of harvest. […] Read more
U.S. analyst takes ‘super weed’ term to task
Designed to scare people | Weeds adapt and change but are not a product of genetic modification
Weeds have always been super, but that doesn’t mean they’re super weeds, said a policy analyst with the Weed Science Society of America. Concerned about the growing use of the term “super weed” in urban media and online, Lee van Wychen said his organization is trying to debunk the super weed myths. Weeds have always […] Read moreOntario sugar beet growers harvest record crop
40 tons per acre | Wet, cool weather favoured sugar beets in Ontario, but other crops may see issues
CHATHAM, Ont. — Ontario farmers generally believe that it’s better to be hot and dry than cool and wet, but there is at least one notable exception this year. Sugar beet growers are looking forward to what could prove to be a record yield, thanks to the cool and wet summer. “Right now, guys are […] Read moreMaple Leaf criticizes TFWP reforms
Maple Leaf Foods says the federal government denied an application in June to hire 75 foreign workers for its Brandon hog processing plant. The decision, combined with restrictive changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, has created a human resources situation that is not “sustainable” for Maple Leaf, says Rory McAlpine, the company’s vice-president of […] Read more
Are farmer seed rights still safe?
A controversial bill aimed at modernizing Canada’s plant breeders’ rights legislation won’t affect a farmer’s rights to save and replant the seed that he harvests. That message, delivered repeatedly by the supporters of the Agricultural Growth Act, was repeated last week by federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz. Under Bill C-18, “the farmer’s right to save […] Read more
