The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba held Manitoba Ag Ex Oct. 25-28, featuring 638 head of cattle from Manitoba to Alberta. It is Manitoba’s largest all-breed show. The Manitoba Sheep Association also held its show during the event. | Sandy Black photos
News
Yield estimate discrepancy may be timing issue
Statistics Canada collected its information in August, while Saskatchewan Agriculture conducted its survey in October
The difference between federal and provincial government crop estimates might just be a matter of timing, says a government official. Statistics Canada has come under fire by market analysts for being way off on its yield and production estimates, especially for small-acreage crops such as pulses and special crops. For instance, it is forecasting a […] Read more
Two new wool films released
Campaign for Wool Canada released two new Fabric of Canada films last month as part of wool month. Shearing Ontario’s Shetlands features shepherdess Carole Precious, whose family first introduced the Shetland breed to Canada. Shearer Don Metheral also shares his insights and experiences from the Canadian shearing industry. The other video focuses on Whispering Cedars […] Read more
New Alberta farm group gets down to business
Province’s wheat and barley groups merged to form Alberta Grains; executive director in place, zone meetings planned
The fully merged Alberta Wheat-Alberta Barley producer organization rebranded as Alberta Grains is up and running with its new executive director taking the helm this month. Mike Flynn assumed the role Nov. 1 in the lead up to zone elections in January for board directors that will complete the executive team of the newly amalgamated […] Read more
Producers oppose carbon tax bill amendment
A Senate amendment to a private member’s bill would exempt grain drying but not barn heating and greenhouses
Farm organizations and farmers across the country urge senators to defeat an amendment to Bill C-234 that removed barns and greenhouses from a potential carbon pricing exemption. The proposed changes mean the bill, which would amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, would exempt natural gas and propane used for grain drying but not barn […] Read more
Time to realize Sask. irrigation potential: CAPI report
New report endorses province’s commitment to massively increase the Lake Diefenbaker-based irrigation system
It’s time for Saskatchewan to finally achieve its irrigation potential after decades of frustration and failure. That’s the bottom line of a new report released by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. Irrigation: Saskatchewan’s Unfulfilled Dreams, written by Quebec journalist and agricultural researcher Nicolas Mesly, endorses the Saskatchewan government’s commitment to massively increase the Lake Diefenbaker-based […] Read more
New Sask. sow processing plant opens its door
Moose Jaw facility is largest of its kind in the country and will process cull sows and off-spec hogs from Western Canada
MOOSE JAW, Sask. — A new state-of-the-art sow processing plant begins accepting animals this week at the former beef plant in Moose Jaw. North 49 Foods is a division of Donald’s Fine Foods, which also owns Thunder Creek Pork in the city, and the first major pork plant to be built in Western Canada in […] Read more
Program hopes to prevent pronghorn deaths
Alberta and Saskatchewan work with other organizations to make Trans-Canada Highway crossings safer for the animals
Wildlife crossings in the Rockies are a regular sight but a group of conservation and government officials in Alberta and Saskatchewan are looking to install safe areas for migrating pronghorn herds to cross the Trans-Canada Highway. The PronghornXing program is a joint initiative between the Miistakis Institute, Alberta Conservation Association and National Wildlife Federation with […] Read more
New avian flu cases may be linked to fall bird migration
Wildlife organizations, domestic commercial operations have been working to refine already tight biosecurity measures
After months in which only a few cases of avian influenza have been reported in Western Canada, the highly infectious strain of the virus has made a limited return. The end of October has seen four commercial poultry operations with positive cases of avian influenza in British Columbia. Alberta has dealt with five since the […] Read more
Manure management big focus at farm show
Moving all that waste out of the barns at Manitoba Ag Ex takes a lot of time and money, but it’s a job that must be done
BRANDON — Tens of thousands of times last week, cows plopped, splatted and splashed patties in the barns, hallways and rings of the Keystone Centre in Brandon. And thousands of times cattle producers, especially young ones with little family rank, shoveled and forked up the brown pies, carrying them to manure carts that would be emptied […] Read more
