Reporting animal welfare violations isn’t solely the responsibility of veterinarians, says Chris Clark of the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinarians must consider animal welfare as part of every visit to a farm, he told attendees at the recent Cross Border Livestock Health conference in Saskatoon, and as educators make recommendations to […] Read more
News
Public vigilance needed to stop abuse of livestock in farm operations: veterinarian
Critics call CFIA GM apple comment period ‘untransparent’
Access to variety information Canadian’s comment period ends as the U.S. one begins for the non-browning apple developed in B.C.
The Canadian comment period for introduction of a non-browning genetically modified apple closed earlier this month as the U.S. Department of Agriculture comment period just began. And as the U.S. comment period begins, groups opposed to the GM apple say it shows the lack of transparency in Canada’s system. Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of the Canadian […] Read moreAlberta creates grain commissions
Alberta farmers have two new grain commissions beginning Aug. 1. The Alberta Wheat Commission will replace the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission and Alberta Soft Wheat Producers Commission. The new all-wheat commission will assess a refundable 70 cent per tonne checkoff on wheat sold in Alberta. The checkoff is expected to raise $3.5 million annually […] Read more
Alta. farmer left with few options after storm
Hail damage | Insurance claims piling up following late July hailstorm in southern Alberta
Shattered grain stalks and mangled canola crops litter Allen Bergen’s farmland south of Spring Coulee, Alta. A potential bumper crop of wheat, barley and canola was wiped out in a 20 minute hailstorm July 26 that cut a swath from Hillspring to Cardston and into Montana, damaging the crops and property of many. “Some of […] Read moreLongtime crop breeder honoured in China
Vern Burrow’s long and distinguished career as an Agriculture Canada oat breeder was winding down in the late 1990s when he asked himself an unusual question. Over his more than four decades of oat breeding that led to 27 of his varieties being registered and his work with hulless oat varieties being widely recognized, he […] Read more
Crop report
MANITOBA Southwest Sporadic rain and storms hit the region in the latter half of July, with precipitation amounts ranging from 15 to 40 millimetres. More precipitation in early August is needed to aid grain filling and for pasture re-growth. Aster yellows is present in canola and in flax crops at levels higher than normal. Most […] Read more
Canola finishes the week on a positive note
November canola got some legs under it today, moving up $4.80 to $618. January and March also moved up on the ICE markets, seeing $6.10 and $6.20 increases to $621.10 and $621.90 respectively. The big gainers in canola were May and July 2013. They were up $9.60 and $10.10, closing the gaps with nearer-term markets, […] Read more
Researcher discovers field sequence affects yield
Flax thrives when planted after wheat | The secret lies with beneficial fungi that flourish in wheat fields and boost uptake
About 10 years ago, Marcia Monreal, an Agriculture Canada scientist at the Brandon Research Centre, was part of a field experiment that demonstrated how flax yields are influenced by crop sequence. Monreal and her Ag Canada colleagues found that flax yields are significantly higher if the preceding crop is wheat and lower if the previous […] Read more
CWB prepares for next chapter
‘Business as usual’ | CWB now operates as a voluntary marketing agency and competes for customers
A revamped version of the CWB will enter the new crop year with a clean balance sheet, a streamlined workforce, a revised lineup of marketing contracts and a new corporate identity. But lingering legal issues surrounding the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly have yet to be resolved and likely won’t be for months, […] Read moreWestern Producer crop report
Alberta Peace Pre-harvest spraying of peas has begun across many areas of the region including fields from Grimshaw to Dawson Creek, B.C. While crop conditions are generally dry, crops are still considered above average for many areas. Pockets of dry areas have advanced crops dramatically. Harvest of peas and wheat at La Crete because of […] Read more
