MarketsFarm — Highly varied precipitation across the Canadian Prairies in May saw drought conditions worsen in southern Alberta while parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan were becoming too wet, according to the latest federal Drought Monitor report. The report, released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for the period ended May 31, showed that overall, 19 […] Read more
Drought worsens in Alberta, but eastern Prairies wet
StatCan releases satellite crop vegetation data
MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada’s crop condition assessment program (CCAP) on Thursday released its weekly normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values from April 11 to May 29 — telling the tale of weather extremes in the Prairie provinces. As of the fourth week of May, seeding was 95 per cent complete in Alberta, compared to the […] Read more
Don’t count pipelines out as a source for your livestock watering system
Underground pipe may be more economical than you think — especially with federal funding
Reading Time: 4 minutes You can place them wherever you want on your pasture, set up watering stations as you like, and keep your cows out of streams and dugouts. But underground pipe is also costly compared to some other watering options — at least on first analysis. But sometimes a pipeline may be a less costly option, say […] Read more
Thunder Bay grain shipments down on year through two months
MarketsFarm — Grain shipments through the Port of Thunder Bay are running well behind normal through the first two months of the 2022 shipping season, according to a release from the port. However, potash movement through the port is up considerably, with inbound shipments of general cargo also strong. Grain shipments through the end of […] Read more
Canola exports slow to trickle
Wheat exports also well behind curve: CGC
MarketsFarm — Canadian canola exports have slowed to a trickle, as supplies dwindle with only two months left in the current marketing year. Only 900 tonnes of canola were exported out of the country during the week ended May 27, according to the latest data from the Canadian Grain Commission. That was down from the […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Rains forecast for southern Alberta
MarketsFarm — The prospect of rain over drought-stricken southern Alberta, with Calgary and Lethbridge possibly seeing at least 30 millimetres from June 4 to 7, would seem to be a godsend for growers. However, recent history suggests the moisture may not matter in the long term, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. at […] Read more
Weaning calves early isn’t normal but is an option in a time of drought
There's some clear benefits for the herd, but what do you do with the calves?
Reading Time: 3 minutes When feed is tight and times are tough, early calf weaning is an option — albeit an unusual one, says one of the country’s leading cattle experts. “Early weaning is talked about a lot, but not many people do it,” said Dr. John Campbell, a professor of large-animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and an […] Read more
Be strategic when rebuilding your cattle herd following drought
Rebuilding your herd with your own heifers will be the best option for most operations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Producers who were forced to cull their herds during last year’s drought may need years to rebuild their herds back to pre-drought levels. “When the drought hit last summer, one of the questions that came up was what if guys had to cull really hard,” said Brenna Grant, executive director of Canfax. “Every operation has […] Read more
Drought aid tops $350-million
Reading Time: < 1 minute Government aid for drought-hit Alberta producers has put more than one-third of a billion dollars in their hands. The first round of the Canada-Alberta Livestock Feed Assistance Initiative paid out more than $180 million on 14,000 applications for more than 2.1 million animals. It paid a flat rate of $94 per breeding cow, the federal […] 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
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
