MarketsFarm — Canada’s Prairies should see higher-than-normal precipitation and generally average temperatures during the 2020 growing season, according to a forecast from Scott Kehler of Weatherlogics. Speaking Thursday at CropConnect in Winnipeg, Kehler said “there’s not really a strong pattern one way or the other” when it comes to the temperature outlook. The Weatherlogics forecast […] Read more
Average Prairie heat, more rain in summer forecast
Manitoba growers approve five-way commodity group merger
Manitoba grain growers represented by five separate commodity organizations have voted to greenlight a merger they now expect to make official by August. A total of 165 ballots were cast Wednesday and Thursday during the groups’ annual general and special meetings at the CropConnect conference in Winnipeg, with members at the various events voting between […] Read more
Scoular to sell edible bean business
MarketsFarm — The Scoular Company has made a deal to sell its edible beans business in Manitoba and the northern U.S. to a Michigan edible bean processing and exporting co-op. Cooperative Elevator Co., which is owned by over 1,100 U.S. farmers and operates mainly in Michigan’s “thumb” northeast of Flint, announced Friday it will buy […] Read more
Manitoba reviewing underused forage insurance plans
About 18 per cent of forage acres insured
The Manitoba government is taking a look at its Crown crop insurance agency’s relatively under-subscribed offerings to forage growers. The provincial ag department said Tuesday it has launched a review “to better understand the purchasing decisions of Manitoba producers when it comes to forage insurance products” available via Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC). Over 1,200 […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Buyers not looking to make purchases
MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices were beginning to soften as many buyers don’t have a major need to purchase from growers, said Nelson Neumann, senior trader for Agfinity in Stony Plain, Alta. “There’s still obviously a demand, but buyers are pretty well covered for the February-March timeframe. That’s a window where a lot of growers […] Read more
Rye production likely won’t increase in 2020
MarketsFarm — Strong prices served as an incentive for farmers to plant more rye in 2019, but one grower believes there won’t be as much production in 2020 due to the wet fall. “Winter cereals got seeded, but not the acres guys were planning,” said Brad White, a Saskatchewan farmer and a director with Winter […] Read more
‘Weak positive’ PED turns up in Alberta sample
A “weak positive” finding of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus from ongoing sampling in Alberta offers a warning that the hog disease may not have yet left the province alone. The chief provincial veterinarian’s office (OCPV) on Monday reported that the agriculture department’s lab in Edmonton on Jan. 22 found a weak PED positive […] Read more
Variable Prairie weather makes for uncertain spring ahead
If nothing else, a rainy harvest season helped replenish topsoil moisture
MarketsFarm — Late-season rains wreaked havoc on the 2019 harvest season but were helpful in restoring topsoil moisture to key growing regions in the Prairies. Since snow coverage has been variable across the Prairies so far in 2020, however, the growing season may get off to a rocky start. “If we take a look at […] Read more
Spring weather to determine Prairies’ crop pest load
MarketsFarm — How problematic insects fare across the Prairies in 2020 depends largely on the weather this spring, according to three provincial insect specialists. Be the insects grasshoppers, flea beetles, cutworms, or a few other types, their potential to cause significant damage to Prairie crops will partly depend on how dry and warm this coming […] Read more
Hay disaster benefit kicks in for Manitoba growers
Eligible Manitoba forage growers can expect to share in a $5 million hay disaster benefit (HDB) for the 2019 crop year. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC), the provincial crop insurance agency, announced Friday that the HDB has been activated and benefit payments to eligible forage producers on about 1,500 claims will begin “shortly.” The HDB, […] Read more
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