Reading Time: 4 minutes There will be less government money and a renewed focus on boosting productivity on the farm, but the details of the province’s new plan for ag research are still up in the air. “We’d like to get to a point where we have a long-term vision for agricultural research — one that’s designed to be […] Read more
Are you prepared to do more with less agricultural research?
That’s the question farm and research groups are facing as government and industry funding falls
Alberta farmers grapple with a miserable harvest
There simply aren’t a lot of positives for many producers in the province
Reading Time: 5 minutes This year’s harvest was the season from hell for farmers across Alberta. Many will still be combining next spring, drying grain for weeks to come, and their marketing efforts will resemble a salvage operation. And while producers — particularly in central and northern regions — knew their crops were late in developing, Mother Nature did […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prolonged Prairie harvest pushes up grain prices
MarketsFarm — A seemingly never-ending harvest across the Prairies has been responsible for a $10-$15 per tonne jump this month in feed grain prices, said Glen Loyns, general manager of JGL Commodities in Moose Jaw. “It’s probably gone up $5 this week,” Loyns said. This year’s extended harvest, coupled with large amounts of grain to […] Read more
Syngenta to halt Canadian cereal development operations
Seed and ag chem giant Syngenta plans to wrap up a decade of cereal seed research and development work in Canada by the end of the year. The company announced Wednesday it will discontinue its Canadian cereal seed research and development program effective at the end of calendar 2019, affecting five Syngenta Canada staff positions. […] Read more
Glencore’s head barley trader leaves post
Paris | Reuters –– Glencore Agriculture removed head barley trader Mathieu Kleine from his post last week, market sources familiar with the matter said. The grain merchant, which is part owned by diversified commodity group Glencore, dismissed Kleine due to disappointing results, two of the sources said. It was not clear if Kleine was still […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market consolidation continues
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were unchanged from week-ago levels. Larger pre-sort calf sales were held across the prairies. Buying interest was barely sufficient to support the market at the current levels. The risk tolerance shifted from medium to low this past week. Discounts appeared to be more severe on unweaned and unvaccinated calves. Colder […] Read more
Speaking with one voice is a win for farmers, says Team Alberta
New joint website is the latest effort by four main crop commissions to ‘amplify’ their shared policy positions
Reading Time: 3 minutes The province’s four main crop commissions have taken another step towards speaking with one voice. The quartet — which collectively has 20,000 members — came together four years ago to form Team Alberta when the urban-centric NDP came to power. “We found it easier to talk to the new people who wanted information on agriculture […] Read more
Alberta harvest continues, 11 per cent of crops remain
Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of November 5
Reading Time: 6 minutes Following a cooler than normal growing season, September brought several wet spells, interspersed by two major dry spells, each lasting less than two weeks. In October, wet spells occurred more frequently, with the northern half of the province blanketed with a few cloudy days. Over the past month, all areas in the province experienced below […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Barley, feed wheat at par in southern Alberta
MarketsFarm – Feed barley prices in southern Alberta’s feedlot alley moved higher over the past few weeks, but the price rise will likely slow down as barley trades at par with feed wheat. Feed barley and feed wheat are both currently trading at around C$225 per tonne delivered into Lethbridge, Alta. “That’s a sell signal […] Read more
Better barley: There’s a long wish list for brewers and feeders
Yield is No. 1 for growers but elements such as ‘Lox,’ beta-glucan, and acid detergent fibre are key, too
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask most barley producers what they want in a variety and the answers won’t surprise you: Better yield, standability and disease resistance. But when it comes to buyers, it gets a little more complex. Both foreign and domestic customers — especially beer makers, but also feeders — are looking for traits few people even thought […] Read more