Reading Time: 4 minutes The agriculture industry in Alberta uses a lot of water. According to provincial licence data interpreted by CBC, Albertans can expect 68 per cent of all water allocations in 2024 to be dedicated to agriculture; far ahead of industrial (22 per cent) and municipal (seven per cent) categories. For the time being, Alberta consumers seem […] Read more
Can high water use affect consumer food choices?
Not yet, but ag should be prepared if it someday does, says Alberta agricultural economist
Mountain View County landowners say industrial overuse of water hurts area
Gravel pit mining among key concerns as area residence report water quality issues
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a tale of landowners versus industrial development. Landowners and concerned citizens from the South McDougal Flats area spoke recently at a hearing about the area structure plan for their region. Neil Konner, who owns land in the area, said many people in Mountain View County are concerned about the use of water, specifically in […] Read more
Action needed on drought preparations in Alberta
The Alberta Water Council released nine recommendations based on modelling exercise
Reading Time: 2 minutes The province, municipalities and water management groups need to talk to each other more if Alberta wants to mitigate future drought crises, according to the Alberta Water Council. “Preparedness and adaptability are the keys to successfully responding and adapting to the risk of multi-year drought,” the AWC said in a late-February report. That statement comes […] Read more
Ag ministry, insurance among farm takeaways from 2024 Alberta budget
Need for disaster resilience cited for funding increases
Reading Time: 2 minutes Response to disasters, water management and irrigation were the agricultural highlights of Alberta’s recently released 2024 provincial budget. The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation’s operating expenses received a bump of 9.7 per cent, rising from $77 million in 2023-24 to $870 million for 2024-25. That includes a $49-million increase in reinsurance costs for the Agriculture […] Read more
Project to help water users improve watershed planning
Irrigation projects will be among the proposals evaluated using the new model
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The organization that represents Alberta’s irrigation districts is spearheading a project that will better allow stakeholders in the South Saskatchewan River Basin to improved watershed planning. The project will use the South Saskatchewan River Operational Model (SSROM) to determine how to best develop infrastructure to benefit Albertans, said Margo Jarvis Redelback, executive […] Read more
Alberta forms drought advisory committee
Reading Time: < 1 minute Glacier FarmMedia – Alberta has struck a new drought advisory committee as some provincial rivers reach record low levels, reservoirs remain below capacity and mountain snowpacks continue to be under historical averages. The province says at least parts of the province are facing risks of severe drought conditions in part due to warm and dry […] Read more
Prairie water users watch mountain snowpack
Alberta officials say the region’s moisture shortage remains dire but stress the situation could easily turn itself around
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The best greeting for farmers attending the recent Irrigation Production Conference was the dump of snow outside the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre in Lethbridge. Inside, the need for that type of precipitation was laid bare in order to avoid a water shortage this year. The numbers tell the tale as to […] Read more
Canadian potato output rises in 2023
Alberta vaults to first place in provincial potato production
At 32.063 million hundredweight of potatoes this year, Alberta vaulted from third to first place as it improved on the previous year’s crop of 26.813 million. Manitoba moved into second spot from third with its harvest of 29.760 million cwt. following last year’s 26.139 million. Prince Edward Island saw its output reduced in 2023 to 25.813 million cwt. from 27.789 million. In 2023, the trio combined for 68 per cent of Canada’s total potato harvest of 128,801 million cwt.
Sugar beet growers seek to expand sector with domestic policy
It wouldn’t stop strikes, but it would recharge Canada’s sugar industry
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A domestic sugar policy would help kickstart the Canadian and particularly the Albertan sugar industry, says a major player in the sector. The Alberta Sugar Beet Growers want a national domestic sugar policy, which the organization says could lay the foundation for resurgence in the sector. Such a policy would regulate the […] Read more
Irrigated crop production update
Conference to be held Jan. 18, 2024
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lethbridge College is collaborating with the agriculture industry, farmers, government agencies and academic partners to present the Irrigated Crop Production Update at the Lethbridge Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre on Jan. 18, 2024. The conference will feature presentations on: The college has also applied for Certified Crop Advisor and Pesticide Applicator credits for the event, […] Read more
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