Alberta Agriculture’s new mobile-friendly weather app differs from many others because it has recent past data, says Ralph Wright, head of agro-meteorology. The app lets producers look at all of the hourly data for winds for the past few days. “If we’re in a stable weather pattern… you can start getting some pretty good ideas […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of July 3, 2018
The province endured some erratic weather this past week ranging from strong winds, a little hail, some cooler than normal temperatures and random rainfall. At this time there is standing water in some fields while others are parched. Recent rainfalls have contributed to an overall increase in surface soil moisture rated as good or better, […] Read more
Several farm income records were set in Alberta last year, says an Alberta Agriculture statistician. Farm cash receipts were $14.1 billion, the first time they have exceeded $14 billion, said Roy Larsen. Crop market receipts were also a new record, up 3.9 per cent to $6.9 billion. “The growth in receipts was largely driven by […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of June 19, 2018
Over the past week, there were some welcome rain showers in the western parts of the province, bringing sufficient moisture to support the active growth of both annual and perennial crops. While many areas in the west of the Southern and Central Regions received at least 30 mm of rain, rainfall for the west parts […] Read more
A snapshot of Alberta’s bison sector is now available through Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. The province has nearly half of the national bison herd — about 55,000 head on 440 farms, according to 2016 data. “The ranched bison industry in Alberta, and throughout North America, continues to thrive with strong market prices and high demand […] Read more
If calf prices stay around current levels, creep feeding could generate nearly $200 in extra revenue
The potential for a poor hay crop is high, and producers facing a shortage should consider creep feeding, says a provincial beef and forage specialist. “Stress on plants from last summer and fall, as well as this spring’s weather across most of Alberta has slowed forage growth in pastures and hayfields,” said Barry Yaremcio. “If […] Read more
Having a ballpark price for this year’s hay crop is useful when working out a hay share agreement
It’s not easy to put a value on hay this early in the season, but producers considering a crop share should come up with an estimate, says a provincial farm business management specialist. Hay prices usually do not settle until about the end of October when there are firmer estimates of forage production, the amount […] Read more
The real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Alberta’s agri-food industry rose by 2.5 per cent in 2017 to $6.5 billion. The province accounts for 12.5 per cent of the country’s agri-food GDP, and is in third spot nationally (after Ontario and Quebec). The GDP for the province’s primary agriculture industry increased 1.9 per cent to […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of June 12, 2018
Over the past week, most areas of the province received timely rains, with the highest rainfall accumulations since the beginning of June seen in the North East Region, and the lowest in the western parts of the Southern and Central Regions. This weather system was also responsible for hail and strong winds, in different parts […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of June 5, 2018
Last week just about all agriculture lands across the province received decent rain, with most areas receiving over 10mm. Three major areas received over 20 mm including western Peace, the land base along the Saskatchewan border stretching from Cold Lake down to the U.S. border and a large area west of highway 2 between Edson […] Read more
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