No grain movement means no cash flow for a lot of farmers. Declining prices compound the problem. It doesn’t take long for insufficient cash flow to become a management challenge. The situation is difficult now but will become worse as we approach spring with operating loans at their limits. Farmers may be wondering what they […] Read more
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Consider working capital needed before restructuring debt
Seed cleaning plants play a quiet but important role
EDMONTON — Seed cleaning plants are just like the grinders in a hockey game: not flashy, often under-appreciated but very im-portant. Alberta’s 69 seed cleaning plants cleaned 36 million bushels of grain last year, said Ron Wirsta, manager of the St. Paul Seed Cleaning Plant and a member of the Association of Alberta Co-op Seed […] Read more
Young farmers stay close to family
Lifestyle continues to be why most new producers choose to farm. When participants at the Jan. 29-30 Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs Conference were asked why they farm, some mentioned the freedom involved in being an entrepreneur while others talked being their own boss, a love of nature and the ability to be on the land and […] Read more
Genomics coming to a cow near you
Cattle breeding | Better technology will allow industry to test animals with greater accuracy
SASKATOON — The beef industry will eventually use genomics, says an extension specialist, even though the first version of the science gave way to what she called the “trough of disillusionment.” Alison Van Eenennaam, a researcher with the University of California, Davis, said genomics was oversold in the beginning. “When genomics first came out, I […] Read moreFarmer targets gluten-free market
With a market size estimated at more than $35 billion annually, the North American snack food industry attracts thousands of new players and products every year. Keith Murphy of Oak Bluff, Man., has no intention of pushing aside Frito-Lay, but he hopes to capture a tiny fraction of the massive market with a roasted buckwheat […] Read more
Interest growing in buckwheat as farmers explore options
Looking for alternatives Low-input crop drawing greater interest among Manitoba farmers as canola prices drop
Mike Durand, a special crops buyer in Manitoba, knows what to expect when canola prices fall. He says his phone will ring more frequently with inquiries from farmers who are looking to grow something other than canola. This winter, many of those growers have called to talk about buckwheat. “I’ve had some farmers tell me, […] Read morePortable diagnostic test kit designed to speed treatment
Detecting fluke parasite | The on-farm testing kit delivers results in less than 10 minutes, allowing producers to protect their herds
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — Irish scientists are working on an innovative tool to accelerate the fight against liver fluke in sheep and cattle. The Flukeless diagnostic test kit combines the latest in diagnostic devices, tracking systems and DNA testing to help identify and eradicate the parasite. Blood testing and/or a fecal egg count from retrieved […] Read moreSaputo wins majority control of Australia’s Warrnambool
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) — Canada’s Saputo Inc. has secured majority control of Australia’s Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Co. Holdings Ltd., putting pressure on rival bidder Murray Goober Co-operative Co. to concede defeat. Saputo said it had increased its shareholding in Australia’s oldest dairy maker to 52.7 percent, giving it control after a months-long battle […] Read more
U.S. House passes farm bill; Senate expected soon
Approval follows months of negotiations | Bill ends direct subsidies to farmers but adds permanent livestock disaster aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive farm bill last week that cuts payments for food stamps by about one percent and ends a direct subsidy to farmers, while expanding government-backed crop insurance programs. After months of negotiations and criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, the measure passed […] Read moreBean trials examine ways to increase yield, profits
LETHBRIDGE — Beans are big business in southern Alberta. Up to 50,000 acres of irrigated land are planted each year to pinto, white, great northerns, red, yellow and black beans worth about $60 million. Alberta Agriculture agronomist Pat Pfiffner said it is the second highest valued irrigated crop on a per acre basis. Beans, which […] Read more
