Reading Time: 3 minutes The North American Lamb Company (NALCO) started with lofty goals — and some sharp criticism of the sheep sector — when it was launched in 2018. “I will tell you right now that the sheep business, in my opinion, is a dysfunctional and declining business and I’m not saying that solely about the Canadian business,” […] Read more
Lamb company had big ambitions but was never profitable
North American Lamb Company had an innovative business plan but expenses always exceeded sales
The ball is just getting started for Canada’s Cinderella crop
Renewable diesel expected to permanently push up demand — and keep prices strong
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canola acres are down substantially this year but that’s not because growers’ fondness for their Cinderella crop has diminished. In fact, most are pretty excited about what lies ahead, said Alberta Canola vice-chair Ian Chitwood. “I think people are quite optimistic by how the market is looking and how things are looking for canola,” said […] Read more
Farm census snapshot: Big farms, big dollars, and not getting any younger
Reading Time: 4 minutes Bigger, more valuable, and older. Those are key words emerging from the latest Census of Agriculture. The broad strokes from the 2021 census confirm trends that are well known: Farms are consolidating and getting bigger, land and other assets are worth more, revenues and expenses are both going up, and the high cost of getting […] Read more
Drought monitor drills down into the very dry conditions
Conditions in the southern part of the province approaching a state seen only once in a half-century
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s no surprise to anyone farming in southern Alberta, but drought conditions continue to worsen in the region after yet another very dry month. AgCanada’s Drought Monitor expanded the areas classified as being in extreme drought (a D3 rating) or severe drought (D2) after the south received only 40 per cent of normal precipitation in […] Read more
Alberta poised to become hemp-processing powerhouse
Two hemp processors aim to open $70-million production plants in 2024
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta farmers will be growing a lot more hemp when two new proposed processing facilities open their doors in 2024. One is a $72-million hemp oil-processing operation to be built in a yet-to-be-determined location in southern Alberta while the other is a rare bird in the hemp sector — a facility that will process hemp […] Read more
Canola sector will need a big push to reach production target
But crushers seem confident that canola sector can greatly increase yields and hit its ‘26 by 2025’ goal
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canola Council of Canada’s plan to push production to 26 million tonnes annually by 2025 is still on — but the goal is looking ever-more daunting. The joint farm-industry organization released an updated “innovation strategy” last month to support it’s ‘Keep It Coming — 26 by 2025’ initiative. The strategy report has a long […] Read more
Cereal commissions offer new, and different, seeding rate calculator
The calculator targets seeds per square foot, not plants, while a new video looks at row spacing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley have created a seeding rate calculator that has a significant difference from similar tools — it doesn’t require users to estimate emergence mortality. “Instead of targeting plants/ft2, this calculator targets seeds/ft2,” the cereal commissions say in an intro for the online tool. “Therefore, emergence mortality is not included in the […] Read more
Premiums soar after crop insurer hit by $2.7-billion loss
Higher crop prices are driving a big part of the 37 per cent (or higher) hike, but drought hit hard, too
Reading Time: 4 minutes The cost of annual crop insurance is soaring by an average of more than 37 per cent this year — and many farmers could be facing an even higher bill. “An average 1,500-acre Alberta farm growing a mixture of crops will see increased premium costs of approximately 54 per cent for annual insurance and hail […] Read more
Organic sector booms despite lack of government support
But regulation, marketing support, and data collection would fuel even further growth, says report
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s organic food industry is booming — but could be doing even better, says an industry association. “The organic industry in Canada continues growing at an impressive rate with 14.9 per cent annual growth since 2017 and an estimated sales value of $8.1 billion,” says the latest annual ‘State of Organics’ report from the Canadian […] Read more
Feds seek ideas and feedback on reducing fertilizer emissions
Survey accompanied by document saying technology, better practices can cut emissions by 30 per cent
Reading Time: 3 minutes The federal government is inviting Canadians to “share your experiences and ideas” on its plan to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer use. But Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s survey is different from a typical poll because it steers participants to first consider backgrounders on three “discussion issues” and then offer comments in their own […] Read more
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