Students who are taking, or about to start, an agricultural bachelor degree program at one of five Canadian universities can apply for a $5,000 scholarship from Bayer CropScience. There are five scholarships available — one each at the universities of Alberta, Lethbridge, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Guelph. The Bayer CropScience Scholarship for Future Leaders in Agriculture […] Read more
Richardson International has acquired Eagle Agro Services, a full-service, retail crop inputs outlet in Veteran in east-central Alberta. The family-owned business was established in 2002. “We are excited to expand our business into a new geography as Veteran is a new marketplace for us,” said Tom Hamilton, Richardson’s vice-president of agribusiness operations. The company will […] Read more
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has released a smartphone app called the Cereal Aphid Manager to help producers control the pest. Producers count both aphids and beneficials that eat them (at a minimum of five locations), and the app predicts what the aphid population will be in seven days and recommends whether to spray or not. […] Read more
Alberta’s ag societies got their wish in last month’s provincial budget — stable funding from the province. The government pledged to give the 283 primary and seven regional agricultural societies $11.5 million per year for the next three years. “This longer-term commitment ensures that agricultural societies can plan ahead and budget for the facilities, events, […] Read more
Alberta’s four crop commissions have launched a new Farm Sustainability Readiness website tool for farmers considering obtaining sustainability certification. “Companies like Walmart, General Mills, and McDonald’s are looking to source sustainable ingredients to meet the growing expectations from stakeholders to be more responsible for their suppliers’ social, ethical, and environmental practices,” Alberta Wheat said in […] Read more
The India Meteorological Department is suggesting this year’s monsoon season will be average, the Times of India reports. The newspaper points to a recent weather bulletin from the agency saying El Niño won’t be a factor during the summer rainy season. The weather pattern — an abnormal warming of the ocean surface in central and […] Read more
Application deadline is April 30
There’s still time to apply for a 2019 Nuffield Canada scholarship or to consider taking advantage of this learning opportunity in the future. Nuffield Canada offers five $15,000 scholarships, which allow scholars to participate in a training session with other Nuffield participants from the U.S., Britain, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Brazil, China, India, […] Read more
The provincial crop insurer says it is reducing premiums by an average of eight per cent
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation is lowering crop insurance premiums. “On average, 2018 premium rates for crops are eight per cent lower than they were in 2017,” AFSC said in a news release. “The decrease in premium rates is a reflection of the generally good growing conditions over the past few years, which resulted in positive […] Read more
A civil engineer and 28-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces is the province’s new top agriculture bureaucrat. Andre Corbould took over from Beverly Yee as deputy minister of Agriculture and Forestry earlier this month. He has previously been deputy minister with several ministries, including environment, labour, transportation, and municipal affairs, as well as chief […] Read more
Agriculture minister says scandal that engulfed the crop insurer won’t happen again
A financial industry veteran is the new CEO of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. “This marks the final chapter in what I like to call a new beginning for AFSC,” Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier said in announcing the appointment of Steve Blakely. In June 2016, the crop insurer’s former CEO was suspended with pay after […] Read more
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