Soybean seeds.

Biofuel policies will alter grain price structure

Boom likely to spill into lower meal prices, animal nutrition conference hears

Reading Time: 4 minutes Governments are making legislative overtures to boost production of biofuels. In Canada, that includes the Canadian Clean Fuels Regulation, which lays out rules for fuel production and aims to encourage development of cleaner fuels and limit greenhouse gas emissions.


Manitoba Law Courts building.  Photo: Don Norman

Former Manitoba man sues Bayer for causing his cancer

A Calgary man who lived on a farm in Carman, Man., as a child has filed a lawsuit saying chemicals he was exposed to resulted in a cancer diagnosis. The plaintiffs in the case are Kevin Giesbrecht and his common-law spouse, Jennifer McAlpine, who now live in Calgary. According to court documents, Giesbrecht lived on […] Read more


Cattle are turned out on pasture near Priddis west of Calgary in mid-May. Recent precipitation in the area has improved field and pasture outlooks and helped reduce wildfire risk.

Better weather winds for 2024 grazing season

Prairie provinces received vital rains in April and May

Reading Time: 4 minutes The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 promises to break the cycle across much of the Prairies. “This is the best start we’ve had for a year for a long time,” said Graeme Finn, founder of Union Forage and rancher near Crossfield, Alta. “These pastures now are looking […] Read more

Keep it Clean’s 2024 Product Advisory contains no new products on its list for cereals.

Products removed from high-risk agrochemical list

Keep it Clean drops two products from its list of market risks

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A 2024 product advisory from Keep it Clean is missing two names previously featured on a list of high-risk crop protection products. Keep it Clean is a joint initiative of the Canola Council of Canada, Cereals Canada, Pulse Canada and the Prairie Oat Growers Association. The group releases an annual product advisory […] Read more


Flea beetles chow down on a canola leaf.

Canola Council urges flea beetle vigilance

The annual fight with flea beetles pressure is about to begin for Prairie producers

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canola Council of Canada agronomist and insect management lead Keith Gabert is warning producers about flea beetles. “The biggest challenge with flea beetles is we just don’t know,” he said. “We really can’t predict this particular insect pest, which is really humbling because it’s our No. 1 insect pest.” To help producers […] Read more

“There’s going to be a little pain before we get to this situation where rates are starting to normalize.” – Desmond Sobool, Farm Credit Canada.

Economic headwinds seen for Canadian farmers

From interest rates to the dollar to commodity prices, here’s what Farm Credit Canada sees coming

Reading Time: 3 minutes Farm Credit Canada predicts a bit of a rocky road ahead for Canadian farmers, with input prices high, commodity prices low and interest rates not expected to drop in the short term. “The sentiment of the industry is not the greatest right now,” said Desmond Sobool, FCC’s director of economics and deputy chief economist, speaking […] Read more


Roughly 2.5 million tonnes of canola seed equivalent stocks are now used for biofuel markets in Canada, the U.S. and the European Union.

Canola sector anticipates biofuel boom

Renewable fuels could give canola demand ‘unprecedented’ growth

Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Increased demand driven by the biofuels market will put upward pressure on canola prices. The biofuels industry could drive canola demand into uncharted territory in the coming decade, says one industry expert. “The capacity of crush could grow from 11.3 million metric tonnes today to 18 million metric tonnes in three or […] Read more

“Any investments that we make in equipment, land, what we put on our crops, what we put in our soil, whatever the case may be, need to provide a positive return. If they don’t, you need to question why you are doing it.” – Darren Bond.

Making a profit in 2024 could be challenging for farmers

High costs and low commodity prices lead to return of tight margins

Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers can expect tighter margins for the foreseeable future, according to one farm management specialist. “This is not 2022 or even the early parts of 2023; this is a return to historic-type margins,” says Darren Bond, a farm management specialist with the Manitoba government. “I think that profit is still attainable for […] Read more


A cold snap this winter had a temporary effect on the movement of grain, but Mark Hemmes of Quorum Corporation said the railways did a solid job of dealing with it.

Railways weather few winter woes

Grain shipments on track despite January cold blast

Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – At the midway point of the 2023–24 shipping year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor. “The exception was the last four or […] Read more

Matthew Johnson from Volatus Aerospace discusses the role of drones in agriculture.

Going aerial without breaking the bank

Affordable and easy-to-use, microdrones can give farmers a foothold in aerial tech use

Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Any farmer can get into the drone game, according to Matthew Johnson, vice-president at Volatus Aerospace. And with the current price of a minidrone, with its functionality and ease of use, he says it’s kind of crazy not to. “I’ve been saying it for a long time. Since (the) mini came out, […] Read more