Farmers don’t have to struggle too much these days to sort out all the competing bids from truckers desperate to haul their grain. They’ll be lucky to find anyone willing to haul grain on short notice in Alberta, and the shortage of grain truckers is extending across the Prairies. It’s all part of the collateral […] Read more
News
Demand for truckers unmet
Inoculant company earnings down
Predicting what’s going to happen in the grain industry months in advance is a risky proposition. But that’s exactly what farm input suppliers like Philom Bios Inc., a Saskatoon-based inoculant company, have to do every year. Some years it all works out, some years it doesn’t. For Philom Bios, which manufactures and distributes products like […] Read more
Groups stop fighting over ethanol plans
Federal and provincial ethanol groups are finally on the same policy page, but they disagree on how they got there. As recently as June, the Saskatchewan Ethanol Development Council and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association were at odds with one another. A panel of MPs gathered on Parliament Hill was given conflicting messages by the […] Read more
Green party revises agriculture policy
As the official agent for the Green party in the rural Alberta riding of Macleod during the last election, Mark Taylor saw how farmers received the party’s agricultural policy. “They just hammered us on it,” the petroleum engineer and Green party activist told delegates at the national Green party leadership and policy convention in Ottawa […] Read more
Model program examines feasibility of ethanol plants
Rural community groups interested in building integrated ethanol-feedlot operations now have access to a template that will help them decide if it is a feasible project for their area. The template, which is applicable for small facilities ranging from 15-25 million litres of annual output, outlines the steps for building a plant and helps determine […] Read more
Party targets western support
Canada’s Green Party has the potential to become a significant Canadian political force and Western Canada could be the region where it first breaks through, says a national public opinion pollster. “The West is target No. 1,” Nik Nanos of SES Research told a news conference Aug. 25 after speaking to a Green party national […] Read more
Wheat board defends record on winter wheat
Winter wheat generally accounts for well under five percent of Western Canada’s wheat production and attracts a modest amount of attention. But that’s changed recently, as the Canadian Wheat Board has come under criticism for its marketing and pricing of winter wheat. First the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association issued a July 14 press release […] Read more
Good season helps prairie fruit growers
The season was short and sweet for prairie fruit crops this summer. Average to above average yields are reported across the three prairie provinces where hot muggy July days shortened the picking season of some varieties. Grower Arne Strom called it the best year ever for his Sherwood Forest Orchards near Regina, which houses about […] Read more
Flood damage deadline extended
Producers will now have until October to apply for financial assistance under the Cover Crop Protection Program. The original deadline for the $50 million federal program was Aug. 31, but it has been extended to Oct. 31 the 2005 and 2006 crop year claims. The program was created to provide assistance to farmers unable to […] Read more
Agri-Coaches Corner/Crop Report
Due to technical problems, this week’s crop report lacks information for some regions. MANITOBA Central and West Cereals are 85 percent harvested at Neepawa, with average to above average yields. Some ergot is reported. Good quality grain is coming off. Canola is 50 to 65 percent harvested, with yields poorer than most years. Flax is […] Read more
