
Author Archives Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

Live cattle imports up nationally, dip slightly here
Reading Time: 2 minutes More cattle headed north last year, says a provincial livestock analyst. “Live cattle imports from the U.S. to Canada were up in 2020 which is the fourth year-over-year increase in a row,” said Jason Wood. “The numbers for the January to December 2020 period show just over 272,000 non-purebred cattle were imported to Canada. This […] Read more
AFSC borrowing limit increased
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture Financial Services Corporation will be able to borrow another $800 million so it can lend more to farmers, ranchers and value-added food production. The province has set a goal of boosting agriculture and food production by $1.4 billion over the next four years and creating 2,000 new jobs in the sector. The new borrowing […] Read more

Wide base of customers aids canola market
Reading Time: < 1 minute Demand from China has been the headline factor in the price rise for canola (and a lot of other commodities) but the oilseed is also benefiting from a diversified export base, says provincial market analyst Neil Blue. While China has greatly ramped up its purchases and long-term buyer Japan sits in the No. 2 spot, […] Read more

Paszkowski, Price and Visser join Agriculture Hall of Fame
The canola, pork, and egg sectors are among those that benefited from the efforts of this trio
Reading Time: 2 minutes Walter Paszkowski, David Price and George Visser are the newest members of the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame. Paszkowski was instrumental in laying the foundation for the canola industry in Western Canada. Born and raised in Sexsmith, he was a founding director of the Northern Alberta Rapeseed Crushing Plant, president of the Alberta Canola Growers, […] Read more

Wheat stem sawfly survey finds some hot spots in southern Alberta
Populations of the pest seem low in most areas, but some fields had moderate or high damage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Populations of wheat stem sawfly are increasing in parts of southern Alberta, the latest provincial survey has found. The survey, conducted in the fall, found increased levels of sawfly damage in Forty Mile County. However, sawfly numbers seem to have declined in Willow Creek and Vulcan Counties, but that might just be a reflection of […] Read more

Cattle slaughter numbers down on the year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Since early April, cow slaughter in Western Canada has been below levels of 2019 and the five-year average, says a provincial livestock market analyst. As of early December, slaughter was down by more than 280,000 head — which is 25 per cent below 2019 levels and 13 per cent lower than the five-year average, said […] Read more

Fertilizer use increasing rapidly in Western Canada
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rising Prairie grain production has seen steady increase in the use of nitrogen, phosphate and potash over the past 10 years, says provincial market analyst Ryan Furtas. Nitrogen use in Western Canada has gone from 1.66 million tonnes a decade ago to 2.28 million tonnes in the 2019-20 crop year — an annual increase of […] Read more

Grain demand strong within Canada
Reading Time: < 1 minute Grain exports are off to a stellar start this crop year, but things are good on the home front, too, says provincial crop market analyst Neil Blue. Canadian Grain Commission data as of mid-November shows canola exports were up 34 per cent, non-durum wheat up 27 per cent, peas up 24 per cent and lentils […] Read more

China drives surge in pork exports
Reading Time: < 1 minute Thanks to surging sales to China, pork exports were up by more than 18 per cent in volume (nearly 21 per cent by value) from January to September, says provincial livestock market analyst Jason Wood. Total year-to-date pork exports were $3.75 billion (1.1 million tonnes), with China accounting for close to half of that — […] Read more

Participants wanted for dairy cost study
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta dairy farmers are wanted for the 2021 edition of the Dairy Cost Study. The pandemic has affected dairy producers, said provincial research analyst Pauline Van Biert. “For the dairy farmer, demand for milk production has fluctuated as processors made adjustments to meet changes in the marketplace,” she said. Participants in the study will receive […] Read more
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