Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The Beef Cattle Research Council wants the third and final year of data collection to fill gaps in a national cow-calf cost of production network. The goal is to allow producers to compare metrics with farms in their region that share the same management practices. “Are you competitive and comparable with others […] Read more
Follow the money: benchmarking can tell you where to look
National cow-calf cost of production network offers insights on boosting profitability
Thanksgiving in a time of bird flu
North America's poultry sector is embroiled in a fall surge of avian influenza, even as turkey demand hits one of its annual peaks
It’s the final stretch until Thanksgiving, but anyone hoping to bring their raw bird over the border may be disappointed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public that raw poultry, including turkey, from restricted areas of the U.S. will not be allowed past the international border due to the ongoing fight with […] Read more
Complaints prompt change to InVigor seed treatment
There were numerous complaints about poor canola establishment but BASF says it wasn’t a lot of acres
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – BASF will change the base seed treatment for InVigor canola hybrids next year out of an “abundance of caution,” says a senior company official. The announcement follows a string of farmer complaints this spring about establishment issues in their InVigor stands. The company will remove Vercorace, debuted this year as a broad-spectrum […] Read more
Weather swing prompts questions on spray water quality
Many areas have seen significant changes in water quality, which can affect the impact of herbicides
Reading Time: 2 minutes You may think you know what to expect when drawing water for the sprayer. That assumption may come at a cost, says expert Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix Research and Training. Swings in weather, from drought last year to wet this year, can affect water quality, said the author of the popular blog, Sprayers 101. “Things […] Read more
What works — or at least helps — in reducing livestock predation?
That’s what a comprehensive pilot project led by Manitoba’s main cattle group hopes to establish
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are a lot of ways to reduce losses to predators, but what works best and which ones are a good investment? That’s what a multi-year pilot project in Manitoba is trying to determine. Among the items being studied are: special penning, with seven strings of electric wire and predator-resistant gates. game cameras that give […] Read more
BASF pegs InVigor canola woes
BASF says they are aware of the issues farmers are seeing in some of their canola varieties. A statement from the company, released in mid-June, noted that some InVigor hybrids “may be encountering various challenges that could be hindering crop establishment this season.” The issue had been noted in “select geographies” in Western Canada, according […] Read more
Be prepared for all sorts of supply shortages this spring
There’s a long list of ag products in short supply as the busy spring season begins to ramp up
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – This isn’t going to be one of those springs where you can stroll into your local ag retailer and then walk out with everything you need. The list of products facing supply issues is long, and growing longer — herbicides, fertilizer, parts, certain feeds and even ear tags. “Our message is simple: […] Read more
Wild pigs could be superspreaders of disease, expert warns
Wild pigs are attracted to hog farms and can indirectly spread diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea
Reading Time: 4 minutes Experts worry wild pigs on the Prairies and domestic hogs are on a collision course — and the fallout could be enormous if PED ever infects the wild population. “We know globally from a lot of research and monitoring that wild pigs can be very serious reservoirs of disease and hold the disease,” said Ryan […] Read more
With new markets opening up, demand for new hemp varieties emerging
New uses mean a new spectrum of genetic traits for hemp breeders to tailor for
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada has taken on a leading role in hemp production since the crop was legalized in 1998. Initially it was grain and products like hemp hearts and then nutraceuticals like cannabidiol. But now Canada is staking out a new leadership area in the hemp sector: genetics. It’s still comparatively early days for […] Read more
Walmart commits to sustainable beef in a ‘milestone moment’
Retail giant will buy 1.5 million pounds in the coming year and more in the years that follow
Reading Time: 3 minutes The effort to build production of certified sustainable beef in Canada is getting a major boost from Walmart. The retailing giant says its Canadian division will become a major buyer of beef certified by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). “This is the largest public commitment made by a single retailer to date: 1.5 […] Read more
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