MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Saskatchewan could play an integral role in feeding the world if it continues to develop its agricultural resources properly, says the dean of agricultural and environmental sciences at McGill University. Chandra Madramootoo said predictions that the global population will reach nine billion people within a few decades have pushed food security […] Read more
News
More acres, better equipment will hike output
Oat sector needs to get doctors to tout benefits
Years of promoting oats’ wonderful healthy qualities doesn’t mean everyone knows all about it, says Agriculture Canada research scientist Nancy Ames. Even lots of doctors and dietitians don’t realize oats have been proven to lower cholesterol and probably have other health-promoting characteristics, she told the Prairie Oat Growers convention in Winnipeg Dec. 5. “Most of […] Read more
Monsanto, Novozymes strike R&D arrangement
Microbial products | The companies want to develop seed treatments from naturally occurring bacteria and fungi
Monsanto says a deal with Novozymes to form a long-term research and development alliance should accelerate the release of microbial-based products designed to improve crop production. For farmers, the partnership should result in new seed treatments and topical applications for crops manufactured from naturally occurring bacteria and fungi, said officials with both companies. Monsanto is […] Read moreArctic thaw linked to extreme global weather events
Report seen as inconclusive by some | Some experts say changing sea temperatures may also be to blame
OSLO, Norway (Reuters) — A thaw of Arctic ice and snow is linked to worsening summer heat waves and downpours thousands of kilometres south in Europe and the United States, scientists warn. The connection underlies the scale of the threat posed by global warming, they added. Their report, which other experts dismissed as inconclusive, warned […] Read moreChinese charged for seed theft
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Reuters) — Three Chinese nationals, including one who attended a gala dinner for the then-vice president of China, have been charged in two separate cases of trying to steal seed technology, trade secrets under development in the United States, authorities say. After a two-year investigation, an executive working for a Chinese conglomerate […] Read more
Aspirations lead to innovation
Producers with the largest farm receipts aren’t necessarily the most innovative. Rather, it’s the farmers and livestock operators who are starting or expanding their businesses who are most likely to adopt new products and production, marketing and management techniques, says Eric Micheels of the University of Sask-atchewan. Micheels, a professor in the university’s department of […] Read more
Farmers told to share enthusiasm for industry
Hard luck image | FCC initiative says those involved in agriculture have a responsibility to promote optimism
With grain prices high and storage bins bulging, the evidence is clear: most Manitoba growers have had a fantastic year. Many farmers describe it as a “once in a lifetime crop,” which may be true, but the choice of language is curious. It suggests 2013 was a rare occasion when farmers, by random luck, actually […] Read moreGlobal push for cure
Canada and other G8 countries have vowed to step up medical research efforts to cure dementia — or at least delay its onset. Dementia is deemed to be a looming global health issue, and those at a recent international meeting of health ministers, researchers and the World Health Organization were told that the incidence of […] Read more
AG Notes
Angus Central open Angus Central has officially opened in Alberta’s Rocky View County. The national headquarters of the Canadian Angus Association houses a significant collection of Angus art, culture and artifacts. For more information, visit www.cdnangus.ca/main_page.htm#sthash.9meSTzGZ.dpuf. Manitoba canola growers electing directors The Manitoba Canola Growers Association was to have counted ballots Dec. 17 in its […] Read more
World in brief
Amazon port expects major traffic next year SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — The Brazilian arm of U.S. commodities trader Archer Daniels Midland Co. expects to move one million tonnes of soybeans and corn through its new terminal at the mouth of the Amazon in 2014, the head of South American operations said. The company eventually […] Read more
