Farmers and ranchers in northwestern Saskatchewan received much-needed rain late last week and over the weekend. Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night, […] Read more
Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask.
Arrest made in alleged Alberta hay fraud
A Lethbridge businessman is due in court next month to answer to charges that a Taber, Alta.-area farm business was defrauded out of six figures’ worth of hay. The Taber Police Service said Friday it had completed a “lengthy investigation” into allegations of fraud in which hay was obtained “under false pretenses” from a local […] Read more
Drought-stricken Peace Country producers get tax break but need rain
It’s been dry, dry, dry in the Peace Country and if the rains don’t come this year, they’ll ‘be hurting big time’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle producers in northern Alberta can make use of an income tax deferral to help them weather the 2014 drought in the Peace Country. But what they really need is a break from Mother Nature. “In 2013, the Peace Country got average rainfall,” said Valleyview producer Roland Cailliau, a Zone 9 delegate with Alberta Beef […] Read more
Tips for making hay during fall’s cool, damp weather
Fall is less than an ideal time for putting up forage, so the goal should be to salvage what can be salvaged and feed it quickly
Reading Time: 2 minutes Time is of the essence when putting up forage under less-than-ideal moisture conditions. “Cool and wet fall weather is great for pasture recovery and for easing forages into dormancy, but not so good for drying hay,” says Linda Hunt, forage specialist with the Alberta Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “It’s not uncommon for fall conditions in […] Read more
Estimating the value of a standing hay crop
Buyer and seller can make a two-part agreement, with final payment made after harvest
Reading Time: 3 minutes “The month of July is usually the most difficult time of year to determine hay prices,” says Ted Nibourg, farm business management specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Stettler. “Yields and quality are uncertain and demand is an unknown factor. July of 2014 is no exception.” Last summer’s hay production was variable in quality, says Nibourg. “Two long […] Read more
Putting a price on hay a challenge in summer
A host of factors makes it a challenge to price hay in summer, but there are ways to value your standing hay crop
Reading Time: 2 minutes July is the most difficult time for figuring out the price of hay, and this year is no exception, says provincial farm business management specialist Ted Nibourg. “Two long hard winters back to back reduced much of the hay carry-over in the province,” says Nibourg. “There were numerous reports of strong hay prices earlier this […] Read more
Volatile forage market seen keeping alfalfa prices high
CNS Canada — Volatility on the forage market has driven alfalfa prices to all-time highs in Western Canada and it doesn’t appear they’re going to come down anytime soon, an industry expert says. The high prices can be chalked up to a few reasons, according to Ed Shaw, owner of Carstairs, Alta.-based International Quality Forage […] Read more
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