Crop development varies across Alberta

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of July 16

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cooler than normal temperatures have prevailed in the past month across most of Alberta resulting in a slight setback of approximately a week for many fields. Combined with the dry conditions throughout the South, East and Peace regions and higher than normal precipitation along the foothills and North West region, the crop conditions and staging […] Read more


Connecting with customers such as Hideo Suzuki (far right), president for Belex chain of supermarkets in Japan, was a top priority for Alberta Canola director Andre Harpe (second from left) on a recent trade mission. Also pictured are Deputy Ag Minister Andre Corbould and Tanya Fir, the provincial minister of economic development, tourism and trade.

Trade missions more valuable than ever, say Alberta producers

You have to show appreciation for customers and ask face to face how you can improve, says canola director

Reading Time: 3 minutes In times like these, friendship is more valuable than ever. “The mission was a direct result of the China (canola) ban,” said Alberta Canola director Andre Harpe, “When you lose part of your market, you have to make sure your other markets are OK.” Harpe was one of two Alberta producers who recently travelled to […] Read more

Maynard Kolskog has made some remarkable tasting oat-based cheeses. Pictured here are a smoky cheese and a blue cheese.

Reporter plays foodie and samples oat-based cheeses

“The more I work with Alberta crops, the more I get excited about them,” says local culinary arts instructor

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not every day that I go into a laboratory to try food. But today, I walk into a room with steel containers and refrigerators, where researchers are wearing lab coats. I’m about to taste some new oat ‘cheese,’ and I’m excited. Before I get to taste the oat cheese, research chef, Maynard Kolskog has […] Read more


(ILTAGrain.com via YouTube)

Grain Commission suspends ILTA Grain’s licenses

Farmers owed money for grain delivered to ILTA Grain Inc. should call the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). The CGC on Thursday suspended the Surrey, B.C.-based company’s grain dealer’s license and its primary grain elevator licenses for elevators at Belle Plaine and Saskatoon, Sask., Remi Gosselin, the CGC’s manager of corporate information services, said in an […] Read more

(ILTAGrain.com via YouTube)

Pulse exporter ILTA Grain under creditor protection

Corrected, July 11 — MarketsFarm — B.C.- based pulse exporter ILTA Grain, which operates pulse handling and processing facilities in Saskatchewan, has been granted creditor protection by that province’s Supreme Court. “The decision to file for (Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act protection) was made after careful consideration and in our view, is a necessary step for […] Read more



Crop conditions creep near five-year average, soil moisture levels still a concern

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of June 25

Reading Time: 4 minutes Following a dry spring, most parts of the province have received at least 80 mm of precipitation over June and experienced a wetter weather pattern, with some fields receiving significantly more rain through thunderstorm activities. However, southern parts of Alberta remained dry and in need of rain. Moisture stress in the northern half of the […] Read more


This photo shows the conceptual site plan for a $400-million pea processing facility that French multinational Roquette will be building in Portage la Prairie, Man. If efforts by Protein Industries Canada come to fruition, there will be a host of such processing plants in Western Canada in the decades to come.

Protein supercluster aims to transform food processing in Western Canada

The region can be a world powerhouse in value-added processing, says head of Protein Industries Canada

Reading Time: 3 minutes Protein Industries Canada has a plan to kickstart the growth of the plant-based protein sector in Western Canada over the next four years, says its CEO. “From a processing perspective, this is a growing industry in Canada — we’ve got 7,000 food processors,” Bill Greuel told attendees at the recent Bridge2Food Plant-Based Food Summit. But […] Read more

Low moisture levels slow crop growth across Alberta

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of June 18

Reading Time: 5 minutes Since the beginning of June, some parts of Alberta (especially in the western and central areas) experienced a more normal weather pattern, receiving up to 100 mm of rain. However, conditions in the Southern Region, eastern parts of the Central and North East Regions, northern parts of the North West Region and northern half of […] Read more