The Saskatchewan government has to repay royalties to the potash industry for the first time in the province’s history. According to a third-quarter budget update presented by finance minister Rod Gantefoer March 2, the government must refund $204 million the industry has already made. The government had expected to earn $1.9 billion from the mineral […] Read more
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Sask. to return potash royalties
Assistant commissioner jobs dropped
The Conservative government has effectively eliminated the position of assistant grain commissioner from the Canadian Grain Commission. Treasury Board president Stockwell Day announced March 8 that to cut costs, 245 government appointments to agencies and boards will not be made, essentially eliminating the positions. Among the cuts were the six assistant commissioners now allowed for […] Read more
Children hear the safety message
Susan Reynolds hopes children will share their safety lessons with their families. The executive director of programming for the Progressive Agriculture Foundation said her group tries to reach children through one-day events designed to keep them safe at home or on a farm or ranch. The hands-on workshops on safe farm practices are designed to […] Read more
Crop Development Centre finds more Triffid in breeder seed
The monumental task of ridding Canada’s flax supplies of genetically modified material has become more difficult after lab tests detected trace amounts of CDC Triffid in three more lots of breeder seed from the Crop Development Centre in Saskatoon. CDC managing director Dorothy Murrell said breeder seed lots of CDC Bethune, CDC Sorrel and CDC […] Read more
Alberta forecasts problems with hoppers in some areas
Insect levels in Alberta are expected to be about the same this year as last year, with one exception. “Most insects will be at the similar levels we have gotten used to, or lower, with the big exception being grasshoppers in northwest Alberta and the Peace. Those will have higher numbers,” said Scott Meers, an […] Read more
Ag has difficulty attracting workers
A senior official with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council says action to avert a looming workforce crisis in agriculture is moving too slowly. CAHRC executive director Danielle Vignette said a strategy to recruit, train and retain farm workers is beginning to emerge. “I would say it is inching along, not nearly as quickly as […] Read more
Trainers ready to ride after devastating fire
KENDAL, Sask. – When Cain and Roberta Quam surveyed the aftermath of a fire that destroyed their horse training facility, they thought that life as they had known it for the last 11 years was over. “Initially I thought, ‘I’m done, I can’t do this again,’ ” said Cain Quam, one of Canada’s top horse […] Read more
Researchers seek IBD answers
When Sarah Lang developed severe intestinal problems that landed her in hospital, she feared her career as a world class speed skater was over. “It was a normal season for me until I started getting these weird symptoms,” she said. She was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in 2006 and, with a course of […] Read more
Ritz takes aim at CWB monopoly
The Conservative government is again gearing up to tackle its favourite prairie farm policy whipping boy – the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly. This time, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said the target may not just be the barley monopoly. In the March 3 throne speech opening the new session of Parliament, the government said it will […] Read more
Bison seeks recruits from cattle ranks
Efforts to increase the number of bison in Canadian pastures and feedlots have industry leaders looking across the fence line for potential new producers. Mark Silzer, president of the Saskatchewan Bison Association (SBA), said the bison industry is encouraging beef producers to consider opportunities in bison production. Beef prices are low, profit margins are thin […] Read more
