Prices as high as $22,000 an acre in Iowa | Correction expected as commodity prices soften
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Land prices jumped last year in the U.S. Great Plains, playing catch-up to soaring Midwest farm values. Prices for farmland in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Minnesota increased by 25 percent year over year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in its February land price review. The organization surveyed […] Read moreNews — page 3311
U.S. farmland values soar
Grid soil sampling has limitations but still beneficial, says scientist
CALGARY — A good understanding of a farm’s soil is the foundation to accurate variable rate fertilizing, and soil sampling is key. But how much sampling is required to obtain reliable results that can be used for a precision agriculture management zone? A lot, says Raj Khosla, a Colorado State professor and president of the […] Read more
Don’t go overboard on VRF technology, warns expert
Too much hype? | Soil on some farms may not vary enough to warrant the cost
CALGARY — Variable rate fertilizer technology can be expensive, says Alberta Agriculture research scientist Ross McKenzie, which is one big reason to approach it with caution. At $10 to $12 per acre, the technological cost can’t exceed the value of potential benefits, he said. As a result, producers should walk before they run into full-scale […] Read moreE. coli vaccine could improve confidence in Canadian cattle
An Ontario biotechnology company is proposing that Ottawa commit up to $50 million to buy doses of a vaccine it has invented to reduce E. coli 0157 bacteria in cattle manure. Rick Culbert, president of the food safety division of Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. told the House of Commons agriculture committee Feb. 29 that the […] Read more
Co-operative elects officials
Glen Tully will remain president of Federated Co-operatives Limited following an election at the organization’s annual meeting in Saskatoon last week. Clint (Dusty) MacDonald of Carlyle, Sask., will join Tully as vice-chair of FCL’s board of directors. The FCL board of directors consists of members elected to represent 15 districts across Western Canada. Those directors […] Read more
Ottawa accused of muzzling scientists
A researcher with Agriculture Canada agrees with a recent editorial in the prominent journal Nature, which accuses the Canadian government of muzzling its scientists. “We (Agriculture Canada) are a publicly funded institution and what we do should be communicated to the public freely, without restrictions,” said the scientist, who noted that department researchers must jump […] Read more
CFIA establishes complaints, appeals office
New code of conduct rules | The inspection agency has been criticized for irregular service and poor communications
When agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced a strengthened code of conduct for how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency deals with its clients, British Columbia cattle producers took some quiet credit. In a Winnipeg speech last week, Ritz announced a CFIA “statement of rights and service for producers, consumers and other stakeholders” as well as a […] Read moreAlberta rancher faces fraud, theft charges
An Alberta rancher is facing multiple charges of fraud and cattle theft. Howard Schneider of Ardrossan, owner of Northline Angus, was charged after a two-year RCMP investigation. The charges arose following an investigation after a rancher who was boarding cattle at the Schneider property was concerned his cows were not there, according to a news […] Read more
Ag education students hot commodity
Global trade increasing | Students with an agricultural degree will be in demand worldwide
Agricultural MBAs (Master of Business Administration) are hot right now, with a surge in interest from overseas students and North American corporations working in the global market. The increased interest has inspired the University of Guelph to revive an old MBA program that it had abandoned and add a new one. “Our industry is globalizing,” […] Read morePromising flax lines head to registration trials
Progress is being made on developing flax lines suitable for the northern Prairies, but the 2011 breeding trials weren’t as eye-popping as the previous year. Average days to maturity for the 132 flax lines tested in the Northern Adapted Flax Variety Development Project in 2010 were 7.8 days earlier than CDC Bethune, which was beyond […] Read more
