Manitoba Hydro is building a new power transmission line called Bipole II. Farmers don’t like the route because it affects their irrigation lines and operating costs as land is taken out of production and farming activities are complicated by having to work around the towers. Regardless of whether the land is expropriated or voluntarily offered […] Read more
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Power line, pipeline easements have tax implications
Questions linger over handling of BSE
RED DEER – Larry Sears added his name as a representative plaintiff to a class action lawsuit out of frustration. He was unhappy with the government over damage that was caused to the beef business after BSE was found in Canada in 2003. The Stavely, Alta., area rancher was chair of the Alberta Cattle Commission […] Read more
Checkoff funds alfalfa industry
BROOKS, Alta. – It’s been almost a year since Alberta alfalfa growers formed their own commission to fund research and raise their profile. The industry was previously represented by an association that spoke for 120 growers of pedigreed alfalfa seed on irrigated land. The decision to form the Alfalfa Seed Commission last summer meant collecting […] Read more
New crop adviser firm focuses on technology
A new company has been created to work with farmers and agri-businesses wanting to use more geotechnology. Agri-Trend Geo Solutions Inc., based in Calgary, is a collaboration between Agri-Trend Inc. and GeoFarm Solutions Inc. The firm has set up a network of advisers to offer technical support to farmers, other Agri-Trend companies and agricultural companies […] Read more
Corn, soybean acreages up, wheat down
Cereal grain prices fell after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s seeding intentions survey. As expected, U.S. farmers said they will plant a huge corn acreage and a large soybean acreage. If the weather is good, that could produce record crops. This produced a litany of woe among farmer-focused analysts. “As if increasing Canadian oat supplies […] Read more
Species take circuitous route home
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – In 1969, a Mongolian scientist saw a Przewalski’s horse standing near a spring north of the Takhin-Shara-Nuru ridge in the Dzungarian Gobi. This normally wouldn’t be cause for comment, but it was later realized that the stallion was the last confirmed sighting of the wild horse in its ancestral Mongolian range. […] Read more
Sask. legislature reviews beef check-off change
Legislation that will change the way the beef checkoff is collected in Saskatchewan is expected to go to committee next week, one of the last steps before it becomes law. The Agri-Food Amendment Act, 2009, will move authority for the collection and distribution of the $1 refundable provincial beef levy to the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association […] Read more
Demand holds steady for canola in 2010 forecast
Canola still looks like the crop to grow in 2010, even if American farmers are cranking up their acreage, analysts say. There is strong demand and canola is particularly strong among oilseeds. It’s the cereal grains, not canola, that are likely to be under pressure this season. “It’s got a better demand outlook than soybeans […] Read more
Wild horses originated in N. America
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – New research suggests that wild horses in North America should be considered a native species, rather than domesticated animals turned feral. Jay Kirkpatrick, director of the Science and Conservation Center in Billings, Montana, in a paper co-authored with Patricia Fazio, argues that the question is important because management approaches might change […] Read more
Sclerotinia spoils sunflower supplies
A high level of sclerotinia in last fall’s sunflower crop is forcing many Manitoba producers to destroy the seeds they have in storage. “This particular year, the quality is probably poorer than normal and there are no markets developing at the moment,” said David Koroscil, manager of insurance projects with Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. “A […] Read more
