Province, feds fund pest alert system
staff -The federal and Alberta governments have announced more than $3.3 million in funding for the Crop Pest Surveillance System, which helps protect crops by ensuring early detection and identification of harmful or economically significant plant insects, diseases, weeds or other pests.
Industry partners are also contributing $1.8 million to the system.
The Crop Pest Surveillance System initiative integrates current resources from government, municipalities, Agricultural Service Boards and industry to create a comprehensive system for surveillance, response mechanisms and information sharing that will allow for more effective controls.
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This initiative provides Alberta producers with a pest surveillance system that is consistent with international standards. It also provides producers with a single point of contact for reporting and receiving pest information and enhances the integration, sharing, utilization and retention of information.
Into the pit for this Snowhite
Farmers who still have Canada Prairie Spring White varieties Snowhite 475 and 476 in their bins must deliver them by July 31 if they want to eligible for the top two grades. After that, they will only be eligible for feed grades. The varieties were deregistered April 28.
However, to help producers who may still have these varieties in storage, the Canadian Grain Commission decided to extend the period of eligibility until the end of the current crop year.
