Reading Time: 2 minutes In preparation for growing lentils in 2017, field selection, fall weed control, and residue management should be top of mind this fall, says a provincial crop specialist. While land rollers, flex headers, higher-podding varieties, and improved lodging resistance have allowed producers to grow lentils on less-than-ideal fields, it continues to be important to select fields […] Read more
Now’s the time to plan for next year’s lentil crop
Rocky fields and poorly drained ones are a poor choice, and high nitrogen levels will just encourage vegetative growth
Harvest progress a struggle, unmelted snow remains
Alberta crop conditions as of October 25
Reading Time: < 1 minute Harvest progress continues to struggle as it improved by only a little more than one percentage point over the past week to 74.5 per cent complete and up only five percentage points over the last three weeks. Normally, harvest should be 95 per cent completed or better in all regions by this time period in […] Read more
Tyson invests in non-meat protein
Reuters — Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat processor, took a five per cent stake in plant-based protein maker Beyond Meat amid growing pressure on food companies to reduce environmental and health risks by changing the way they source protein. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Beyond Meat sells plant-based burger […] Read more
Provincial harvest further along, snow falls in the Peace
Alberta crop conditions as of October 4
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers were able to take full advantage of a few days of good weather last week to push the provincial harvest percentage up to 69 per cent complete before wet weather again enveloped the province. Producers in the Peace region saw the first significant snowfall of the season with 15 cm covering much of the […] Read more
The enticing — and sometimes scary — world of alternative crops
Crops like fababeans and hemp don’t command huge acres, but have been successful alternatives for Alberta producers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers are nothing if not optimistic — optimistic that Mother Nature will be kind; that prices will be good; and that today’s work will pay off a month, six months, or a year down the road. But for all their hopefulness, only some are willing to stray far from tried-and-true crops. “There is always some […] Read more
Pulses stranded at sea as shipping company flounders
CNS Canada — The bankruptcy of a major Korean shipping company has raised some concerns for Canadian pulse crops moving by container, but any disruptions to movement will likely be minor, according to an industry analyst. Hanjin Shipping Co., the world’s seventh-largest container shipping company, declared bankruptcy on Aug. 31, leaving more than half of […] Read more
Unpredictable lentil crops could unsettle market
CNS Canada — Lentil producers have been stuck on a roller coaster this season, and the ride isn’t slowing down going into harvest. “It’s been a very hard year to predict because we have record amounts of acres planted, an incredible start to the season, and then of course the well-publicized weather problems leading to […] Read more
Large old-crop canola stocks raise new-crop questions
CNS Canada — Canada grew a million more tonnes of canola in 2015-16 than originally reported, according to updated numbers from Statistics Canada, released Wednesday in connection with the Stocks of Principal Field Crops as of July 31 report. The unexpected revision to the old-crop production now has many industry participants questioning just how large […] Read more
StatsCan’s canola estimates taken with grain of salt
CNS Canada — Statistics Canada’s latest crop production estimates are in and while they may raise a few eyebrows, the numbers aren’t likely to cause havoc in the markets, according to most trade analysts. StatsCan on Tuesday pegged canola production in 2016-17 at 17 million tonnes. That compares to pre-report ideas of 15.9 to 20 […] Read more
Industry bracing for potentially large StatsCan crop estimates
CNS Canada — Canadian farmers are sitting on large crops ahead of this year’s harvest, although just how large remains to be seen as industry participants await Statistics Canada’s first survey results of the crop year, set for release on Tuesday. Pre-report trade estimates on canola production range anywhere from 16 million to 20 million […] Read more
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