WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Drought has shriveled Canada’s wheat crop to its smallest in 14 years, and its canola harvest to a nine-year low, a government report showed on Monday. Parched soils and record-hot temperatures in Canada’s western crop belt sharply reduced farm yields of one of the world’s biggest wheat-exporting countries and […] Read more
Tag Archives Drytimes
Pasture changes pay off
BRANDON, Man. — Kristelle Harper crouches down in the pasture and runs her fingers through the greenery rising above the dry soil. “Let’s see what’s growing,” she says, checking out the variety of plants her cattle will be feasting on in a few minutes. Fortunately for her, this area of southwestern Manitoba isn’t as parched […] Read more
Not all predict drastic cattle sell-off this fall
The sloughs, dugouts and small creeks running along the southern half of the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, deep in Canada’s cattle country, are either dry or displaying the muddy slopes that water levels once covered. But there is a bit more moisture around Veteran, Alta., and areas surrounding the Dryland Cattle Trading Corp.’s auction […] Read more
Hay theft reflects level of farmer desperation
RCMP investigate after grass was illegally hayed in an Alberta park and bales stolen before they could be recovered
Theft of about $10,000 in hay bales gathered without a permit from a provincial park in Alberta, and then allegedly stolen before they could be donated to a charity, is being seen as an example of the desperate situation many livestock producers face. Due to widespread drought and heat waves that have caused poor hay […] Read more
Larger fall calf run could have long-term implications
Feedlot sector says it will take time to rebuild as tight feed supplies force some producers to reduce the size of their herds
Manitoba’s Hamiota Feedlot bills itself as having a capacity to background and finish more than 12,000 head on its custom operation. If the current feed shortages continue, it’ll likely need to use all that space this year. “These guys are just moving their cows to just give them enough room to hold on to some […] Read more
Drought threatens honey supply
Production is expected to take a big hit as heat slows bee activity and drought decimates the crops on which they feed
Many Alberta beekeepers slammed by drought, heat and wildfire smoke this summer are expecting significant declines in production, affecting the largest segment of Canada’s honey industry. Due to what are now three consecutive seasons of lower-than-average production in Alberta and much of Western Canada, there is no honey in reserve and supplies are tight, said […] Read more
Drought’s long-term fallout still difficult to determine
As I toured southwestern Manitoba last week I saw lots of ground truth on the fields that, like so much of Western Canada, have suffered drought throughout the season. Different crops and different pastures showed much different results in plant growth. Only the farmers who seeded or grazed them could tell you what combination of […] Read more
Durum growers lock up the bins as prices rise
Grain quality concerns could drive prices even higher in the short term as recent rain interrupts harvest operations
Only time will tell how much top quality durum will be harvested in Western Canada and the northern United States this fall. But if current markets are any indication, production and supplies will fall well below normal. Growers on both sides of the border will be watching durum markets closely and timing their sales carefully, […] Read more
This year’s feed shortage hastens launch of new website
Farming the Web was developed as a digital marketplace where producers are able to conduct business with each other
The Alberta Forage Industry Network has launched an online classified site called Farming the Web. A need for this service is great because the ongoing drought has depleted feed. Farming the Web was originally created as an alternative to Ropin’ the Web, a classified website originally run by the Alberta government until it was discontinued. […] Read more
Mother Nature left the furnace on this summer
It’s been quite the summer. A lack of rain in most parts of the Prairies was definitely not conducive for growing crops and pastures. As one of our editors said last month, “without water, nothing grows.” But the environmental catastrophe facing producers this summer has had two heads. The drought was definitely a major problem, […] Read more
