The exchange of international germplasm has been crucial for Canada’s barley breeding program, says the head of research at Alberta Agriculture’s Field Crop Development Centre at Lacombe. About half of all breeding progress in barley in Western Canada comes from shared genetic material from international sources, said Jim Helm, a barley breeder for 44 years […] Read more
News
Sharing genetics essential
Violence in Syria threatens research
The recent violence in Syria has raised the alarm for plant breeders worried about the safety of scientists and their work. Barley breeder Jim Helm has worked with many of those affected, and he has been trying to make contact since the beginning of July. However, sending and receiving messages has been difficult. At the […] Read more
Building a better barley
Modern agriculture relies heavily on nitrogen fertilizer, but growing plants recover only about 50 percent of it. Improved nitrogen uptake would reduce input costs and reduce the negative effects of excessive nutrients on the environment, said a researcher from Alberta Agriculture’s Field Crop Development Centre at Lacombe. “If we tried to improve nitrogen use efficiency, […] Read more
Hog sector wants cost sharing on tracking
The federal government is proposing a tougher system of mandatory swine traceability tracking that could cost the industry more than $3 million a year. Proposed regulations published July 16 would require identification tags from birth or import to slaughter or export. There is no suggested date yet for implementation. Public and industry comments can be […] Read more
Grain firms lacklustre in transition to open market
MONTREAL — The transition to an open market hasn’t unfolded the way grain industry analysts expected. Marlene Boersch, managing partner of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc., thought there would be a “quick and aggressive” move by grain elevator companies into the wheat market and immediate pressure on pulse and special crop acreage. Wheat is easily hedged, […] Read more
Restricted farm losses: what type of farmer are you?
Farmers have changed in the last several decades. Gone are the days when most of them used their farms as their only source of income. Many smaller operations are now forced to supplement farming with additional income sources. If you are involved in farming and have additional income generating activities, you need to be cautious […] Read more
Low funding backlogs pesticide regulator
MONTREAL — The organization that sets maximum residue limits for pesticides in many countries is grossly underfunded and swamped with applications, says Pulse Canada. That should concern farmers in exporting countries because billions of dollars in global crop trade are placed in jeopardy when maximum residue limits don’t exist for the pesticides that are used […] Read more
Pulse Canada explores market opportunities
Analyzing the competition | By examining the potential of Black Sea exports, Pulse Canada prepares for competition
MONTREAL — Pulse Canada is sizing up the competition. The commodity association has hired Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. to assess what level of competition to expect from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan in some of Canada’s major pulse markets. The Black Sea region has become a top exporter of wheat and barley in the post-Soviet Union […] Read moreFarmers decry lack of say on AgriStability changes
As federal and provincial agriculture ministers discuss sharp farm income support cuts in a five-year deal to be signed in September, farmers are demanding a greater say in the process. Support levels under AgriStability are on the table. “I think they are doing this behind the scenes and then want to present a package to […] Read more
Glencore gets thumbs up
Viterra purchase gets go-ahead | The company still has foreign regulations to iron out
Glencore International’s proposed $6.1 billion takeover of Canada’s largest grain company is a step closer to reality. However, the transaction is unlikely to be completed before the beginning of the new crop year as Glencore officials had previously suggested. Glencore officials confirmed July 15 that their plan to acquire Viterra has received approval from Industry […] Read more
