Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a good time to take a break from chasing prices, say market watchers. “This year, more than most I’ve seen in recent years, could be a good break for growers who have stretched their rotations to try and grow the crop they feel is most economically advantageous,” said Mike Jubinville, senior markets analyst with […] Read more

Focus on production this year — not prices — say market watchers
Farmers are being advised to have a marketing plan in place, but otherwise focus on production

Pulse weekly outlook: Prices mostly steady ahead of seeding
MarketsFarm — As farmers decide what to plant in 2020, Dale McManus of Johnston’s Grain at Welwyn, Sask. hasn’t seen any significant deviation from what producers normally buy for pulse seed. “Red lentils, green lentils, green and yellow peas,” McManus cited among the pulses being purchased. Also, he noted, prices have remained quite steady in […] Read more

Ontario extends RMP deadlines for crops, livestock
Move won't create coverage gaps, Agricorp says
Ontario grain, oilseed and livestock producers will get extra time to apply for, make changes to or cancel coverage under the provincial Risk Management Program (RMP). Agricorp, the province’s ag program delivery agency, announced Wednesday the new deadline for applications or coverage changes for 2020 will be June 30. The previous deadlines to apply or […] Read more

Farm season well set up if there’s a normal spring
A warm, dry spring should allow most areas to get off to a good start, says provincial forecast
Reading Time: 2 minutes It will — as usual — all depend on Mother Nature’s mood over the next couple of months, but much of Alberta is in a “desirable condition” when it comes to soil moisture reserves, says the latest provincial soil moisture update. “The greatest reserves are found throughout much of the southern Peace region and along […] Read more

U.S. firm buys remaining stake in DOT Technology
Majority owner Raven Industries buys full control
The U.S. precision ag manufacturer holding the controlling stake in a made-in-Canada self-guiding farm equipment platform has made a deal to buy up the balance. Raven Industries, which last November bought an undisclosed majority ownership share in DOT Technology — with an option to buy the remaining stake in the following 10 years — announced […] Read more

Herbicide injury guide now online
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Herbicide Action and Injury guide is now available online. The guide looks at pesticides, their modes of action and the identifying symptoms of each herbicide action on susceptible plants. It is useful for the initial diagnosis of plant injury and for further investigation into the causes of crop damage from herbicides, crop specialist Harry […] Read more
Fact sheets of pulse varieties available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Pulse varietal fact sheets are now available. “Important agronomic characteristics and disease-resistance information are provided for varieties of field pea, lentil, fababean, dry bean and soybean,” said Alex Fedko, crop research technologist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. In 2019, 16 seed companies submitted entries for testing at up to 20 locations across Alberta and northern […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: U.S. bean acres to increase, other pulses down
MarketsFarm — Farmers in the U.S. intend to plant more edible bean acres in 2020, but will seed less area to peas, lentils and chickpeas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report. Edible bean area in the country is forecast at 1.372 million acres, which would be up roughly seven per cent […] Read more

Pitch pays off for startup organic fertilizer maker
Fertilizer made from pea and lentil hulls wins supercluster funding and praise from environment minister
Reading Time: 2 minutes Apitch at an ag innovation forum a year ago has paid dividends for a Vancouver company that wants to make fertilizer out of waste material from pulse processing. Lucent Plant BioSciences and its partners — including pulse trader and processor AGT Foods — is receiving $1.3 million from the protein supercluster to help develop a […] Read more

Saskatchewan crop insurance deadline pushed to mid-April
Governments offer farmers 'flexibility'
The month-end deadline for Saskatchewan farmers to finalize contracts with the provincial Crown crop insurance agency for 2020 has been moved to April 13. Provincial Agriculture Minister David Marit and federal Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday announced the extension on farmers’ deadline to “apply, reinstate, cancel or make changes” to crop insurance contracts. “We […] Read more