Washington | Reuters — U.S. lawmakers expressed concern on Tuesday over a wave of mergers among companies that sell farmers their seeds, herbicides and insecticides, worrying that the deals could lead to higher prices and less innovation at a time of dropping farm incomes. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said the proposed mergers […] Read more
U.S. lawmakers skeptical of ag chemical, seed merger wave
Tough farm conditions right time for merger, Agrium CEO says
Reuters — Plunging crop and fertilizer prices may not have hit rock bottom yet, and the market’s weakness makes it the right time to merge leading farm input suppliers, the CEO of Agrium said on Tuesday, making his pitch to skeptical investors for a US$26 billion union with PotashCorp. “Are we at the bottom yet? […] Read more
Wet, cool conditions continue to delay harvest
Alberta crop conditions as of September 13
Reading Time: 2 minutes Through early September, conditions have generally been cool and moderately wet. Over the past week, almost all Regions in the province have experienced hail. Additionally, a frost occurred between September 12 and 13 in most fields of the South, Central, North West and Peace Regions. The potential damage of hail or frost has not yet […] Read more
Rain expected for Prairies into weekend, next week
CNS Canada — Rain is going to slow weekend harvest progress in parts of the Prairies, though farmers in most areas will still be able to get into their fields, one meteorologist says. But as temperatures drop, some late-maturing crops may have been hit with frost damage. Showers are expected to slow weekend harvest activity […] Read more
Cocktail cover crops: This ain’t your grandad’s grazing system
Innovative producers, especially younger ones, are looking to cover crop cocktail mixes to build soil health and get more production per acre
Reading Time: 4 minutes Nearly 150 people — some from as far away as Manitoba — converged on a farm near Hardisty recently to learn more about cover crop cocktail mixes. But tour organizer Graeme Finn noticed something a little different about the crowd at the event in late August — it was mainly young farmers. “Young people can’t […] Read more
Fertilizer merger highlights big-picture concerns
CNS Canada — A multi-billion-dollar merger between two major crop input companies is the latest in a string of consolidation efforts in North America’s agriculture industry, drawing attention again to the possible effects on the value chain. Agrium and PotashCorp announced Monday they plan to combine to create an integrated global supplier of crop inputs, […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official
The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more
Wet weather slows harvest operations, halts some producers completely
Alberta crop conditions as of September 6
Reading Time: 2 minutes The wet weather over the past week slowed down or completely halted harvest operations in most areas across the province, especially the North East, North West and Peace Regions. The recent moisture will also have a potential impact on crop quality. Provincially, 16 per cent of the crop has been harvested (up seven per cent […] Read more
Traceability poised for next step: Auto tracking of cattle
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is tapping into new technology to make traceability fast and easy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Automated tracking of cattle may soon be a reality. During the coming year, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) will be experimenting throughout the province with data loggers installed at farms, feedlots, and auction markets to track cattle as they move through the value chain. “Movement is very difficult to track, especially when animals are […] Read more
Ox-eye daisy not just a pretty wildflower
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ox-eye daisy is a noxious weed that has been spotted throughout Alberta, especially in central and southwest areas of the province. It commonly grows along roadsides, waterbodies, fields and pastures, forest openings, disturbed areas, and urban areas. This weed looks similar to scentless chamomile and is often not perceived as an invasive plant because it […] Read more