At the University of York in the United Kingdom, researchers have developed a new, modified wheat variety that increases grain production by up to 12 percent. Scientists at the university have increased the levels of a protein called expansin, which determines the growth of plants. “Expansins are conserved in all land plants and play a […] Read more
News
Taking the train was a Christmas adventure
The trip seemed like it took forever, but there was the ultimate holiday payoff at the end of the day — Grandma’s house
Christmas is often a time of memories, and for most folks, good memories. I have some special memories of this special time of year when I was just a young boy, growing up on the family farm a half-mile south of the hamlet of Dapp, Alta., where I still reside. The railroad runs through our […] Read more
Africa must rethink its approach to agriculture
A South African economist argues that governments must embrace technology and seek out private sector partnerships
(Reuters) — In response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most sub-Saharan governments are developing economic recovery plans. These will require some different thinking, particularly when it comes to agriculture. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, explains to Michael Aliber, a professor of agricultural economics at […] Read more
Christmas pageant fitting sendoff for school
There was nothing special about that November afternoon in 1968 — cold, windy and snowy. Then Mrs. Templeton returned from the school office with an announcement. She proceeded to say she had chosen a Christmas pageant and she would list off who would get what part. Whoa. The long-awaited, much anticipated Christmas season must be […] Read more
Finding a seat on the board
How does someone begin to become a board member? Start at the top, said Trish Tetz, an agricultural manager for the Bank of Montreal. “In my experience, one of the very best ways that you can learn about a board is by speaking with a director,” she said during the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference […] Read more
Viterra helps CFB projects
Viterra and Canadian Foodgrains Bank completed their fourth year of growing projects on the Prairies. In all, 296 acres across six Viterra terminals in Alberta and Saskatchewan were seeded and farmed by local volunteer farmers this year. Proceeds from the sale of harvested crops are used to fund hunger response projects around the world through […] Read more
Ag Notes
Alberta conducts policing survey An online public survey about policing in Alberta will remain open until Jan. 4. The survey is part of the Alberta government’s review of the Police Act. The questionnaire covers topics, such as the role of police in the community, processes for handling complaints from the public and officer discipline. Information from […] Read more
News briefs
Brazil to import more soybeans SAO PAULO, Brazil — Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer, will likely import larger-than-usual volumes of the oilseeds next year to cater to domestic demand, oilseeds crushers’ association Abiove told a recent news conference. At the same time, internal demand is heated, Brazil will continue supplying its most prized export […] Read more
Chorney new chief commissioner of CGC
A farmer from East Selkirk, Man., is now the chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. Doug Chorney, who has been acting chief commissioner since June, will assume the role immediately. The term of the appointment is three years. “Now more than ever, it is important to have strong leadership in our agriculture sector to […] Read more
Most popular stories on producer.com for 2020
It’s been a record-setting year for traffic on the Western Producer’s website, www.producer.com. We’ve tracked more than 5 million pageviews on the site in the past year, and we’ve still got a little more than a week to go. Here are the top 10 stories on our site for 2020: 10. Online auction shatters record […] Read more
