MarketsFarm – If Manitoba’s pea harvest is any indication, the province’s pulse crops will be largely deteriorated by the hot and dry weather affecting all of Western Canada, according to Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers executive director Daryl Domitruk. “It has affected (pulses) like it has affected most of the other crops, in that severe […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Healthy demand for heat-stricken Manitoba pulses

Cattle groups lay out a four-part drought action plan to government
Livestock tax deferral, AgriRecovery, and quick access to withered crops are all priorities
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and provincial cattle organizations have a plan to help drought-stricken beef producers. But quick action is needed, they say. The groups outlined a four-part strategy for immediate relief measures requested from federal and provincial governments during a CCA virtual Town Hall on July 19. All provincial cattle organizations, including Alberta Beef […] Read more

Heatwave wreaks havoc on Alberta crops
Governments are rushing to help but fears are mounting as the crisis grows
Reading Time: 6 minutes July’s devastating heatwave has destroyed crops and pastures across Alberta, leaving producers in all corners of the province wondering what their options are at this point of the growing season. “It’s been pretty hard,” said Valerie Ehrenholz, who runs a mixed operation near Barrhead with her father. “I haven’t been farming that long — the […] Read more

DISASTER: Hope dries up along with the pastures and fields
Everyone is hurting but the fallout for the cattle sector may be felt for years to come
Reading Time: 6 minutes The effect of the arid spring and the blistering July heatwave will be felt “for years to come.” “On a scale of one to 10, I’d put this at a 10 — it’s extremely severe,” said Melanie Wowk, chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “The herd will shrink — not just out of this province, but […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans lower on the week
Traders look at long-term weather; wheat flat
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn and soybean futures slipped on Friday, pressured by extended forecasts calling for cooler weather into August, though hot, dry weather in the coming week across the U.S. Midwest underpinned prices. Wheat ended lower as concerns over unfavorable weather in key exporting countries countered pressure from corn and soybeans. The […] Read more

Webinar on drought and cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute With much of the Prairies suffering drought, the Beef Cattle Research Council is putting on a webinar to answer questions about topics such as non-traditional feeds, grazing something new, water quality, animal health concerns and general questions about managing cattle during a drought. A panel of nutrition and animal health experts will answer drought-related nutrition […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Bids rising in Saskatchewan
MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices in Western Canada are continuing their ongoing rise as heat and dryness cover the region. “For feed wheat (on Tuesday), I finally got a bid of $10 per bushel, which is really an amazing bid,” said Dale McManus, broker for Johnston Grains at Welwyn, Sask. The high-delivered bid for feed […] Read more

Manitoba triggers hay disaster benefit
Per-tonne rate lifted to cover feed, transport costs
Manitoba’s crop insurance agency is set to lift the per-tonne rate paid out on insured forage crops to help cover livestock producers’ bills to buy and truck in replacement feed. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC) on Thursday announced a 2021 hay disaster benefit to provide another $44 per tonne, for every tonne below coverage, to […] Read more

Tax deferrals, crop insurance changes en route against drought
Assessments underway for AgriRecovery, minister says
Updated — As the federal government looks to manage impacts of ongoing drought conditions in Canada’s West, producers in parts of five provinces can already expect to be eligible for the livestock tax deferral program. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Thursday in Winnipeg that producers in drought-designated areas of southern Alberta, southeastern British Columbia, northwestern […] Read more

Alberta crop insurance payout could exceed $1 billion
It’s too early for accurate estimates but the scale of the disaster is massive, says provincial crop insurer
Reading Time: 3 minutes Crop insurance payouts could top a billion dollars for the devastating drought that has hit much of Alberta. “We collected about $600 million in premiums this year, so we’re looking potentially at payments twice that amount,” said Darryl Kay, CEO of Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC.) “It’s really early yet, so it’s hard to speculate […] Read more