It’s a variable soil moisture picture on the Prairies as seeding season draws nearer. The east has enough moisture — and in some cases too much. And it gets progressively drier toward the west, with portions of Alberta nearing critical condition, according to one weather watcher. Bruce Burnett, weather and markets director for the MarketsFarm […] Read more
Prairie soil moisture picture growing clearer
Alberta driest; Saskatchewan variable; Manitoba mostly OK
CGC, other fed workers to strike Tuesday night if no wage deal reached
Tax season, passport renewals may also be affected
Ottawa | Reuters — Some 155,000 public workers in Canada will go on strike at midnight on Wednesday if they are unable to reach a wage deal with the federal government, the leader of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said on Monday. PSAC president Chris Aylward said he was “setting a clock […] Read more
U.S. forecaster sees 62 per cent chance of El Nino developing during May-July
Argentina, parts of U.S. could benefit; Asian crops may not
Reuters — A U.S. weather forecaster on Thursday predicted a 62 per cent chance of the El Niño phenomenon developing in the Northern Hemisphere during May-July, and a strong chance toward end-year, likely compounding risks to crops across the globe. “The coastal warming in the eastern Pacific may foreshadow changes across the Pacific basin. Therefore, […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Slow start to Saskatchewan spring
Timely pulse seeding still expected
MarketsFarm — While below-normal temperatures have welcomed the start of spring, pulse seeding in Saskatchewan is expected to start on time in 2023 if the weather co-operates. “We’ve had a slow start to spring,” said Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SaskPulse) executive director Carl Potts. “It’s still a bit of time before seeding would normally start across […] Read more
Former Sask Wheat chair to lead WGRF board
Kevin Auch remains foundation's vice-chair
The Western Grains Research Foundation has a new chair. Laura Reiter, a farmer from Radisson, Sask., northwest of Saskatoon, was elected to the post following the first meeting of the new board following the organization’s 2023 annual general meeting. Reiter is a producer and trained agrologist who has spent time working in research and in […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: World chickpea supplies expected tight over next six months
MarketsFarm — Chickpeas are expected to be in short supply around the world over the next six months, according to a release from the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC). Hot and dry weather in India cut production prospects for that country’s kabuli chickpea crop, according to the report. Production out of Mexico also failed to meet […] Read more
Cropping alternatives budgets
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture has released its annual forecasts of the cost of producing the most commonly grown field crops. Regional forecasts are based on current cost of production information from the AgriProfit$ program, and estimates of expected revenues and costs from various sources. Cropping Alternatives crop budgets are designed to help producers make better crop planning […] Read more
Viterra to exit Russian grain trade
The company's team in Russia to create new grain exporter
London | Reuters — Global grain trader Viterra’s management team in Russia plans to create an independent Russian grain exporter once the company ceases export activities in the country, the head of its Russian office, Nikolai Demyanov, told Reuters on Thursday. Viterra — whose owners include mining and trading giant Glencore and the investment management […] Read more
Railways push back on feds’ proposed interswitching revival
Railways also oppose ban on replacement workers
With Easter less than two weeks away, an Easter egg in the federal government’s 2023 budget calls for a new pilot program to again provide Prairie grain shippers with extended interswitching. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s budget, released Tuesday, laid out a list of investments to “further strengthen Canada’s transportation systems and supply chain infrastructure.” A […] Read more
It’s time to order your Blue Book
Reading Time: < 1 minute Four of Alberta’s crop commissions — Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers, and the Alberta Wheat Commission — have launched the 2023 advance ordering system for Alberta’s Crop Protection Guide, otherwise known as the Blue Book. Alberta farmers, agronomists and agriculture retailers can get ahead of the busy growing season by placing their 2023 […] Read more