Reports of off colour and downgraded peas in the Viking area of central Alberta are likely not representative of pulse crops across the province. Some early pea samples have been downgraded to No. 3 because of off colour and immaturity. Duane Ransom, member services co-ordinator for Alberta Pulse Growers, said he is not surprised to […] Read more
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Downgraded peas found in early harvest reports
Manitoba expects above average potato yields
CARBERRY, Man. — Manitoba potato producers will likely harvest an above average crop this year, says a provincial potato specialist. That’s despite record temperatures and arid conditions in July that pushed irrigation systems to their limits. Following a tour of potato research plots at the Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre north of Carberry, Man., Manitoba Agriculture […] Read more
OECD report mirrors safety net changes
An international report on Canadian farm policy that has influenced government proposals to cut business risk management spending beginning next year argues that existing programs discourage farmers from helping themselves. It has led defenders of the government proposals in Growing Forward 2 negotiations to characterize existing programs as “too rich” compared to other countries, crowding […] Read more
Rats return to Alberta; hunt is on
There were 70 dead rats in Medicine Hat, Alta., as of Aug. 20, and the search to find and obliterate the rodents continues in the province that has prided itself on being “rat-free” since the 1950s. News of the infestation at the regional landfill, on the outskirts of Medicine Hat, was released last week and […] Read more
Centre ponders future of Ontario Risk Management Program
Ontario’s Risk Management Program has sent hundreds of millions of dollars to the province’s farmers but its future direction is uncertain, says a new report. “The programs have paid out to participating producers, but the future direction is no longer as clear,” George Morris Centre executive director Bob Seguin wrote in a recently published analysis […] Read more
Cherries the pits but apples continue as core money makers
Life’s bowl of cherries is a disappointment to many British Columbia cherry growers this year. Frequent rain in the Okanagan during June and July slowed development and caused splitting problems. “The result of that was less than normal quality fruit in the early season varieties,” said Chris Pollock, marketing manager for B.C. Tree Fruits Ltd. […] Read more
Farmers want input on program changes
Alberta producers are asking for a meeting with their agriculture minister as the clock ticks down to the signing of an agreement that will direct farm programs for the next five years. Federal and provincial ministers meet in less than a month, but farm leaders in Alberta are wondering what happened to discussions with them, […] Read more
CWB eliminates variety survey
Western Canada’s new leaner CWB will not be conducting its annual variety survey this year. CWB spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenry said corporate downsizing has forced the agency to scale back programming and focus on core marketing initiatives. The variety survey was launched in the late 1990s and was viewed by the industry as an important tool […] Read more
CF Industries to take full ownership of plant
American fertilizer company CF Industries is poised to take full ownership of Canadian Fertilizers Ltd., Canada’s largest nitrogen fertilizer plant. CF Industries already owns 66 percent of the plant, located in Medicine Hat, Alta. The company recently said it had reached an agreement with Glencore International to buy the remaining 34 percent, now held by […] Read more
New products improve leaf wetting, surface spread
A trickle from the research pipeline has become a faster trickle as new products with differing active ingredients and strategies reach the marketplace these past two seasons. High moisture levels and im-proved plant genetics that result in heavier prairie crop canopies have caused many western Canadian producers to make use of fungicides in a way […] Read more
