Geneva | Reuters — Farmers need more space to grow crops to meet mounting demand for food and renewable fuel at a time of slowing growth in yields, consultancy AgResource said on Tuesday. A renewable fuel push under U.S. President Joe Biden’s climate agenda is set to trigger a boom in soyoil use, reinforcing a […] Read more

More acres seen needed worldwide to meet mounting crops demand
U.S. acres may have already hit ceiling: AgResource chief

Bayer sees farmers pre-buying inputs as supply-chain snarls continue
Chicago/Berlin | Reuters — U.S. farmers are pre-buying seeds and chemicals they need earlier than normal, in a bid to secure supplies for next spring amid sector-wide supply-chain problems, a top executive at German agricultural and pharmaceuticals firm Bayer said Tuesday. Bayer also estimates its average seed prices will go up about five per cent […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market reflects softer sentiment
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$4 lower; calves over 700 lbs. appeared to hold value; calves weighing less than 700 lbs. were down $3 to as much as $5. The yearling run is basically finished. Ontario buying interest was supportive in the eastern Prairie regions due to the bumper corn crop; […] Read more

Hay-starved Prairies fertile ground for online scammers
At least $64,000 lost in Alberta alone, RCMP says
High demand, scarce supplies and rising prices for hay and other feeds due to this summer’s drought on the Prairies have made a market for online scammers, RCMP warn. The urgency driving such transactions may cause ranchers, farmers and farm workers to make purchases “without taking time to properly verify or research production sources,” Alberta […] Read more

Schoepp: A solid foundation is key to resilience and can’t be neglected
This summer spoke volumes about the need for rotational grazing and regenerative practices
Reading Time: 3 minutes General Motors declared bankruptcy in June of 2009 after steadily losing money since 2005. GM’s plight has become a case study and is often used in education programs for directors on boards, but it also holds a lesson for farmers. During the time of its decline, GM was scrambling to produce a vehicle for everyone […] Read more

Regulations on gene-edited crops to be eased in England
London | Reuters — Britain’s farming and environment minister George Eustice announced Wednesday that regulations related to gene editing in agricultural research would be eased in England following a public consultation. Rules will now largely be aligned with conventional breeding methods for research and development into plants although scientists will still be required to notify […] Read more

Canada’s second-largest pension fund reveals new climate targets
Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s No. 2 pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec announced plans on Tuesday to completely exit oil production by the end of 2022 and reduce carbon intensity by 60 per cent by 2030. As part of the same plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Montreal-based Caisse plans […] Read more

Lethbridge forage breeder receives top beef research award
Surya Acharya is not only prolific but knows what ranchers need in a variety
Reading Time: 2 minutes Renowned forage breeder Surya Acharya is the 2021 winner of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. “Dr. Acharya is respected and appreciated by academics and producers alike,” said Matt Bowman, an Ontario producer and chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council. “His work addresses real industry obstacles with solutions that consider producers’ needs through […] Read more

Green Party chief quits
Paul calls leadership stint 'worst period' of her life
Ottawa | Reuters — Annamie Paul announced her resignation as head of Canada’s Green Party on Monday after losing in her own district in last week’s parliamentary election, stepping aside just under a year after becoming the nation’s first Black leader of a mainstream national party. Paul, 48, said she felt she was never truly […] Read more

CFA’s Hay West program up and running
Program website now online
A revival of the “Hay West” initiative, aimed at shipping feed from Eastern Canada to supplement drought-dented supplies in the West, has gone live. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.” Applicants interested in either supplying or […] Read more