International declaration signed at United Nations Climate Change Conference called “aspirational and vague”
SASKATOON — Canada has signed an international declaration committing to transform food and agriculture systems in the fight against climate change. The declaration was signed by 134 countries attending the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “We affirm that agriculture and food systems must urgently adapt and transform […] Read moreNews
Farm revenue rises despite falling crop prices
Numbers do not include input costs, and marketing volumes will drop in 2023 because the crop was smaller than in 2022
SASKATOON — Farm revenues have been good in 2023 despite falling crop prices, according to Statistics Canada. Farm cash receipts for Canadian farmers totalled $72.5 billion over the first three quarters of the year, up 7.9 percent from the same period in 2022. Crop receipts were up $4.5 billion to $41.4 billion despite the drop […] Read more
Canadian crop production revised higher, but still down on year
Production estimates for most of Canada’s major grain, oilseed and pulse crops were revised higher by Statistics Canada in its first survey-based estimates for the 2023 growing season, released Dec. 4. Production levels were still down for the year for many crops, as dryness across the Prairies cut into yields. The survey was conducted from […] Read more
Rye seed market warmer than whiskey
The cover crop market has seen strong growth and fall rye is a go-to choice to help prevent erosion
This is the last story in Ed White’s From rye to Rye series. ST ANDREWS, Man. — Curtis McRae was worried about the ugly claws of ergot he saw hanging out of a few heads of rye in the field, but when the crop came off, it was fine. It was just another lesson McRae […] Read more
Imported sugar for domestic bees
Canadian beekeepers spend a lot of money on labour. They often employ temporary foreign workers at their apiaries, so beekeepers must cover the cost of wages, flights to Canada and subsidize the housing for those employees. The second biggest expense for a commercial beekeeper isn’t as obvious. It’s sugar. “On my farm, I’ll spend $1 […] Read more
Ethanol industry needs carbon capture for aviation market
REUTERS — Carbon capture and storage (CCS) at ethanol plants in the U.S. Midwest is necessary if the industry and its farmers hope to have a role in the burgeoning sustainable aviation fuel market, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Three CCS pipelines that would transport and store captured carbon from ethanol plants in an effort […] Read more
PCs wary of NDP highways spending plans
Opposition scrutinizes priorities as a new government takes control of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
These days you can drive across parts of rural Manitoba without blowing a tire. That’s something the recently defeated Progressive Conservative party is proud to leave as one of its legacies from its 2016-23 time in power. “We got some highways done,” Doyle Piwniuk, the final PC transportation minister and MLA for Turtle Mountain, said […] Read more
Borrowing costs hit Deere demand
(Reuters) — Deere and Co. forecast 2024 profits below analysts’ expectations, saying high borrowing costs and tighter budgets will likely dent demand for the farm equipment maker’s agriculture and construction machinery. Deere predicted a downturn in agriculture and construction equipment sales across all of its regions for the fiscal year ahead, validating analysts’ concern that […] Read more
Signs that speak to a wild pig problem
This invasive species typically stays hidden during daylight hours, but there are some obvious signs they’re present
HOLLAND, Man. — You’re not likely to find them snorting, squealing, rooting and pooping in your pastures and fields. They’re far too smart for that. Farmers wondering if wild pigs are damaging their fields will need a keen eye to spot feral porcine evidence. As these pictures show, wild pigs like to dig in, root-up […] Read more
Irrigators plan for a dry year if conditions hold
Crop types that require less water can reduce growers’ exposure to below normal precipitation and runoff
Soil moisture and precipitation in Alberta are far from ideal for field crops and even irrigated land had challenges in the last growing season — a situation that had many producers talking options during the Ag Connections conference in Medicine Hat in November. “This is the first year that we’ve ever talked about water shutoffs […] Read more
