Crop protection companies selling glyphosate have two years to make minor changes to parts of their product labels, as the 43-year-old herbicide formally clears Health Canada’s re-evaluation process. The re-evaluation, launched in late 2009 in a standard federal practice for registered pesticides in Canada, has ruled that products containing glyphosate — when used following the […] Read more
Glyphosate clears Health Canada re-evaluation
Olds College to create ‘smart agriculture’ centre
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College has been given a $16-million donation it will use to create an institute specializing in ‘smart agriculture.’ The Werklund Agriculture Institute will use big data, technology, and enhanced Internet connectivity to increase the quality and quantity of agricultural production. The funding is a gift from David Werklund, an entrepreneur best known for his […] Read more
PotashCorp notches higher profit as sales climb
Reuters — Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp reported a bigger-than-expected rise in quarterly profit on Thursday and raised its full-year outlook, citing lower costs and increased sales volumes. Shares of the Saskatoon-based fertilizer producer rose 1.6 per cent in early New York trading, touching a three-week high. Revenue was lower in the first quarter due to weaker prices […] Read more
BASF still out for ag chem deals
Frankfurt | Reuters –– German chemicals giant BASF said it would continue to push for acquisitions to shore up its crop protection business, after the antitrust-related sale of assets from the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont left it empty-handed. “We are generally interested in strengthening our business further, acquisitions are part of that, that […] Read more
Don’t go too far out on a limb when growing niche crops
Reading Time: < 1 minute Planning to plant some of the less common crops such as flax, camelina, or hemp? Then start small, says provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “Use the first year as a chance to learn the agronomics and particulars of the new crop,” Brook said. Also, it’s “imperative to get a contract first before you grow it.” […] Read more
DuPont profit beats on strong seed demand
Reuters – Chemicals and seeds producer DuPont , which is merging with Dow Chemical Co, reported a better-than-expected profit for the seventh straight quarter, helped by a rise in seed sales, sending its share up 3.5 percent. DuPont, which is merging with Dow Chemical Co, continues to expect to close its merger in August, Chief […] Read more
OPR threatened, organic industry officials say
The organic industry is mounting a protest against pending changes for its Organic Products Regulation (OPR) that it says has potential to “undo the entire Canadian organic supply chain.” In 2012, the passage of the Safe Foods for Canadians Act resulted in a number of regulations, including the OPR, being combined into a single document […] Read more
Travel the world as a Nuffield scholar
Scholarship application deadline is April 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications for 2018 Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarships are due April 30. “The Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarship provides innovative Canadians with the funding to travel internationally to expand their personal horizons while exploring agricultural issues and opportunities in a global context,” said Kelvin Meadows, chair and 2011 scholar. “We are focused on developing leadership capacity for […] Read more
Choosing to laugh along the way can, umm, lighten the load
Inspired by a return to school, columnist Brenda Schoepp decides there are a few other things she wants to change in her life
Reading Time: 3 minutes As I write this, it is week four of my master of arts in global leadership program at a university near Victoria, British Columbia. After 40 years of being out of school, I can honestly say that I have met my challenge. So tired by day’s end, I collapse on my foam bed. Not one […] Read more
The solar power math is starting to add up
A steep drop in solar prices is giving a new meaning to ‘green’ power — and giving Alberta farmers a way to cut energy costs
Reading Time: 6 minutes Cory Nelson isn’t what you might call a ‘tree hugger.’ But the Grassy Lake-area farmer is a businessman, and to him, solar energy just makes good financial sense. “We view it as an investment,” said Nelson, who grows a variety of crops under irrigation on his southern Alberta farm. “Our best math said it was […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
