Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture Financial Services Corporation wants to see how its assessments of hail claims compares to the evaluation of farmers who assessed damage in their fields. The comparison will help “determine the future of adjustments at AFSC and may assist with adjusting speed in the future,” the crop insurer said. A link to the very brief […] Read more
Assessing hail damage assessments
Forget the silver bullet, bring out the arsenal against kochia
Study using multiple methods to control one of the most dangerous weeds on the Prairies
Reading Time: 4 minutes If it’s a one-on-one battle, put your money on kochia. The pernicious weed is not only a prolific seed producer, thrives in harsh conditions, and spreads its progeny far and wide, it’s also a master when it comes to developing resistance to herbicides. So producers are urged to use a variety of ‘best management practices’ […] Read more
Taking a fresh look at your land, cattle and grazing system
Range management principles are ‘fairly simple’ but applying them depends on local conditions
Reading Time: 4 minutes You might think you know your land inside and out, but getting back to basics can improve pasture productivity. “It’s important to look at this basic stuff because it helps tune the eye,” said Ross Adams, range management specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks. “It’s easier to integrate livestock into the system if you understand […] Read more
Manitoba to open more Crown lands to haying, grazing
Province now taking requests for permits
Manitoba livestock producers up against dry conditions can now apply for temporary passes to get onto Crown land not normally designated for grazing or haying. The province announced Friday it will make such lands available this year for agricultural use “under certain circumstances.” Permits and land uses will be handled through the Agricultural Crown Lands […] Read more
Ceres to buy further into Saskatchewan grain handling
Company taking up Cargill elevator in northeast
Minneapolis grain dealer Ceres Global Ag has made a deal to take its Prairie elevator network a step further northwest. The company announced Thursday it has an agreement in place to buy Cargill’s elevator and “associated assets” at Nicklen Siding, about 30 km north of Tisdale in northeastern Saskatchewan. The elevator, on Canadian National Railway […] Read more
Canada’s pace in trade talks with U.K. raising frustration
Doubts remain on potential benefits for Canadian farmers
The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) is expressing frustration over the pace at which Canada is engaging the United Kingdom toward a post-Brexit free trade deal. Steve Verheul, assistant deputy minister of trade policy and negotiations at Global Affairs Canada, told a parliamentary committee any deal between the two countries will be impacted by European […] Read more
Pick the right forage for productivity and profitability
Productivity in many Alberta pastures is so low it ‘doesn’t pay a lot of bills,’ says forage specialist
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s an elephant in your pasture. “The elephant is disappointment,” said Grant Lastiwka, forage specialist with Union Forage. “When you start to look at the average, Alberta hay yields are around 1.3 tonnes per acre across the province. That’s a low number. “When we look at pasture, all we’re getting in grazing days across many […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market looking firm for fall
The western Canadian feeder market was hard to define last week due to the small volumes. Small groups under 10 head were quite common and in many cases, one to three head were running through the ring. Discounts were quite severe on these stragglers; however, quality feeder cattle traded at similar levels to last week. […] Read more
Bayer loses California appeal of Roundup verdict
Damages payable to plaintiff are further reduced
Reuters — Bayer AG failed to persuade a California appeals court to overturn a verdict favouring a school groundskeeper who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer but reduced the amount of damages by 74 per cent, to US$20.5 million. The decision by the California Court of Appeal came after a San Francisco jury […] Read more
Feds proposing to expand wage subsidy program
Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government wants to expand an emergency wage subsidy program so that all businesses suffering losses from the COVID-19 outbreak will benefit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Friday. Morneau told a news conference that Ottawa would drop an earlier requirement stipulating that businesses needed to show a 30 per […] Read more
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