Farmers and ranchers should take note of rising energy costs and start planning for higher input costs, says a University of Saskatchewan agricultural economics professor. Tristan Skolrud, assistant professor in the department of agricultural and resource economics, said the agricultural sector was hit with a double whammy of drought and increasing energy prices this year. […] Read more
Tag Archives Drytimes
GM wheat takes a 136,000-acre step forward
Hundreds of farmers in Argentina are growing genetically modified wheat this year. A total of 225 producers planted a drought-tolerant wheat developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions on 135,850 acres of land earlier this summer. Growers are expected to harvest about 200,000 tonnes of the HB4 wheat this growing season. The drought-tolerance trait comes from sunflowers […] Read more
Fall rain brought relief to parched Dakotas and Manitoba
October rains brought much-needed drought relief to portions of the American Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies. The welcome fall precipitation was particularly plentiful in the Dakotas, western Minnesota and central and southern Manitoba. “This rain event that took place across these areas was huge in at least reducing some of the fear that we wouldn’t […] Read more
October rains bring relief to some, drought persists
October rains brought much-needed drought relief to portions of the American Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies. The welcome fall precipitation was particularly plentiful in the Dakotas, western Minnesota and central and southern Manitoba. “This rain event that took place across these areas was huge in at least reducing some of the fear that we wouldn’t […] Read more
Man. farm group to offer education on production contracts
Keystone Agricultural Producers tells farmers they must take responsibility for the contracts they sign with grain handlers
Grain contracts pose a risk to farmers, but educating producers is the best way to deal with the risk, says Keystone Agricultural Producers. Severe drought and extreme heat this summer hammered crop yields across Western Canada. As a result, hundreds of farmers didn’t produce enough canola, oats and other crops to fulfill their contracts with […] Read more
Durum to increase in ‘fits and starts’
Demand for Canadian product is estimated to be 4.5 million tonnes but only 2.9 million tonnes of exports are expected
Durum prices are likely headed higher but it won’t be in a straight line, says an analyst. “I view it as fits and starts,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett. Prices will shoot up when some trades take place and then pause or even fall back slightly before the next surge. However, he has little doubt […] Read more
Alberta producers ask for more provincial assistance
Alberta growers are asking the provincial government to recognize the extraordinary circumstances faced by farmers this year, which may already be affecting next year’s planting decisions. In a memo sent to Alberta Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen in September, the heads of the province’s barley, canola, pulse and wheat grower organizations asked the government for several […] Read more
Drought helps farm measure water impact
Improving the Prairie: Research helps Man. potato farm compare conventional and organic effects on soil and water
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that looks at how many farmers are attempting to preserve their soil while increasing profits. Farmers are always running real-world experiments. In crop production systems where a complex rotation, customized management, volatile prairie weather and changing technology are constantly challenging farmers, nobody is short on […] Read more
Drought increases need for fall soil testing
Samples should be taken as close to freeze-up as possible to ensure nutrient analysis values do not change appreciably
Farmers need to know what nutrients are left in the soil once harvest is finished and the crop is in the bin. That’s especially true this year, given stratospheric fertilizer prices and the likelihood of higher-than-normal residual soil nutrient levels following a year of low yields and drought-affected crop development. “Certainly heat and drought played […] Read more
Durum to increase in ‘fits and starts’
Durum prices are likely headed higher but it won’t be in a straight line, says an analyst. “I view it as fits and starts,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett. Prices will shoot up when some trades take place and then pause or even fall back slightly before the next surge. However, he has little doubt […] Read more
