Kaiden Bursaw and Kyle Slobodian of BrettYoung examine the forage plots at Ag in Motion 2025 near Langham, Sask.

Strong cattle prices boost forage sales, reps report at Ag in Motion 2025

Seed companies say producers willing to invest in high-quality forage varieties in light of challenging growing conditions

Representatives from Proven Seed and BrettYoung at Ag in Motion 2025 are reporting strong forages sales across Western Canada this year, driven by high cattle prices, as well as more producers establishing new, higher-quality stands and exploring drought-tolerant varieties.

A look at Saskatchewan producer Calvin Gavelin's dry pasture.

Recent rain offers some hope for Prairie forages

Producers and forage specialists say many parts of the Prairies remain dry, despite the rain that fell in the middle of last month

Forage producers across the Prairies received much-needed rainfall late last month to help ailing hay stands.




Close-up of a cow's nose covered in chop/feed.

Enzymes eyed as way to improve forage nutrition

Enzymes are used at low levels in poultry feed as well as hog diets, but their use is not standard practice in cattle rations

Emma McGeough, associate professor of animal science at the University of Manitoba, wants to know if enzymes can improve nutrient uptake in cattle that have forage-based diets.


Graham Parsons, a pollinator biosecurity specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, shows the insect species he collected from the Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission’s on-farm experiments in night spraying.  |  Becky Zimmer photo

Study determines night spraying can benefit pollinators

Spraying for the lesser clover leaf weevil is not only easier on pollinators but also provides more effective pest control

Forage and seed producers heard about the benefits of night spraying for red clover crops during the Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission’s recent annual meeting. The commission conducted two on-farm experiments of night spraying in June 2021. Graham Parsons, pollinator biosecurity specialist with the Saskatchewan agriculture department, identified the pollinators that benefit from nighttime pesticide […] Read more

Demand from China and U.S. dairies helps drive the price of hay, which dropped in 2023.  |  File photo

Export hay prices show serious decline in 2023

“Violent whiplash,” is how Joshua Callen describes forage markets in the western United States. Callen of the Hoyt Report of Idaho, spoke at the recent Canadian Forage and Grassland Association Convention in Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. West coast pricing generally sets the hay price in North America. Its market experienced an extreme high in 2022 […] Read more