WINNIPEG — On Jan. 12, the temperature in Saskatoon dropped to – 41 C. The cold snap lasted five days, with night-time lows between -30 and -40 C. In theory, that widespread blast of winter should have killed grasshopper eggs buried in soil across the province, but most of them likely survived. “We don’t have […] Read more
News
Canola takes social media hit
SASKATOON — Canola and other seed oils are under attack. “We are seeing more misinformation about seed oils, and a lot of that is coming through on social media,” Brittany Wood, director of canola utilization with the Canola Council of Canada, said during a recent webinar. “If you are on TikTok or Instagram, it’s quite […] Read more
EU agrees on new Ukraine food limits
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) — The European Union reached a provisional agreement March 20 to grant Ukrainian food producers tariff-free access to its markets until June 2025, albeit with new limits on imports of grains. The European Commission proposed in January to suspend duties and quotas on Ukrainian farm produce for a further year with an […] Read more
Grain movement ‘frustrating’ after strong start
Railways blame their struggles to provide enough cars on cold weather and new labour rules that require more workers
SASKATOON — Grain companies say rail service has dropped off tremendously since January. Railways did an excellent job moving crops in the fall, but their performance took a turn for the worse when the weather turned cold. “From then we’ve seen the railways struggle with manpower and power,” Jarrett Beatty, a canola exporter with Parrish […] Read more
Local 4-H shakes off reduced funding
Glacier FarmMedia – A recent federal funding cut shouldn’t affect local 4-H clubs, at least for now, says 4-H Canada. The national organization said its most recent round of funding from Agriculture Canada totals $1.7 million over three years. In the past, it has received about $1 million per year, said interim chief executive officer […] Read more
Two class action lawsuits take aim at paraquat
The Canadian legal actions will attempt to prove a link between the agriculture chemical and Parkinson’s disease
SASKATOON — Two class action lawsuits are underway in Canada alleging a link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat is the active ingredient in a broad-spectrum herbicide marketed under the brand name Gramoxone in Canada by Syngenta between the mid-1960s and 2022, when it was taken off the market. Related stories: Daniel Bach, partner with […] Read more
U.S. to fund grassland, wetland conservation
Three Canadian groups are developing a similar initiative that would prevent the conversion of grassland to other uses
WINNIPEG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has made a $138 million commitment to preserve grasslands and wetlands and cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack announced the investment March 13, explaining the funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act, which is intended to transition America toward a greener economy. “(It) […] Read more
Food waste solutions earn two cash prizes
REGINA — Two Montreal companies have won the business stream of the federal government’s Food Waste Reduction Challenge. LOOP Mission and Still Good came out on top after 343 applicants were whittled down to 24 semi-finalists and then 10 semi-finalists. The challenge was launched in November 2020 as part of Canada’s food policy and also […] Read more
Sask. pledges support if drought costs materialize
REGINA — Saskatchewan finance minister Donna Harpauer has always said a crop failure is her worst budget nightmare. The possibility of yet another drought in parts of the province loomed over her seventh and final budget delivered last week. She has announced she won’t run in the next election expected this fall. However, the financial […] Read more
Sask. budget projects deficit, boosts spending
The government announces record spending for health and education as well as increased operating costs for the RCMP
REGINA — Health care and education tend to dominate provincial budgets, and Saskatchewan projected record spending in both those areas for the next fiscal year. The budget theme, Classrooms, Care and Communities, outlined the spending priorities Saskatchewan people deem important, the government said. The health budget is a record $7.6 billion, up nearly $584 million, […] Read more
