Reading Time: 5 minutes Stephen Vandervalk has seen some tough, dry years on his southern Alberta grain operation since he started farming. But never this dry — and never this tough. “We’re combining the worst crop we’ve ever combined in the history of the farm right now,” the Fort Macleod-area grain farmer said earlier this month. “We’re seeing 10- […] Read more
When will it end? If the fall rains don’t come, the hurt will continue
Autumn downpours could turn things around but moisture reserves are greatly depleted
Cannabis firms catch whiff of opportunity in Brazil
Canadian producers among those now supplying Brazilian market
Sao Paulo | Reuters — International cannabis companies are showing interest in Brazil, both its large consumer market for medicinal products and a proposal that could legalize planting of the crop. Major producers such as Colombia’s Clever Leaves and Canada’s Canopy Growth are developing and selling medicinal cannabis products to a Brazilian consumer segment estimated […] Read more
Drought relief payments to start flowing in early September
Producers need an AFSC account and a record of ‘extraordinary' livestock feed expenses
Reading Time: 3 minutes The first drought relief payment of $94 per head should be in the hands of cattle producers early next month. In the meantime, producers need to make sure they have an account with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) and start putting together a record of “extraordinary” feed expenses because of the drought. “We’re working towards […] Read more
Haitians grow impatient for quake aid as hungry crowd gathers
Victims say they still lack food, shelter, clean water; some major hospitals damaged
Les Cayes, Haiti | Reuters — A hungry crowd gathered outside an airport in southern Haiti on Wednesday as people left homeless by an earthquake that killed some 2,000 people voiced anger that government aid was slow to arrive five days after the disaster, leaving many without food and water. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who […] Read more
Nutrien confident in potash demand even with BHP project
Calgary | Reuters — Canada’s largest potash producer Nutrien said Tuesday it is confident in growing global demand for the crop fertilizer, shrugging off BHP Group’s decision to press on with its massive Jansen project in Saskatchewan that will add millions of tonnes a year of potash supply. BHP announced Tuesday it is going ahead […] Read more
Bayer takes battle over Roundup cancer claims to U.S. Supreme Court
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer, trying to contain billions of dollars in legal costs, filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court verdict that upheld damages to a customer blaming his cancer on the German group’s glyphosate-based herbicides. Bayer last week lost a third appeal against verdicts that sided with […] Read more
U.S. confirms will boost food stamps by record amount
Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Monday will announce revised nutrition standards dramatically boosting average food stamp benefits, the agency confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported the plan to unveil the largest permanent benefits increase in the history of the government’s primary anti-hunger program, saying the change would result […] Read more
The clock is ticking on old-school ways of weed control
Resistance is rampant and producers need a more strategic approach, including herbicide layering
Reading Time: 3 minutes Time’s just about up. Crop growers won’t be able to spray their way out of problem weeds for much longer if herbicide resistance continues to spread, says one of the country’s top weed scientists. “We’re seeing multiple-herbicide resistance show up in a few different weed species on the Prairies,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. […] 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
Telus, Rabobank ag arms buy into farm data aggregator
Companies join in on deal for Minneapolis-based Conservis
The agriculture arms of one of Canada’s major telecoms providers and a major Dutch bank and financial services firm are taking a stake in a tech firm in the business of gathering on-farm data into a single window. Telus Agriculture and Rabo AgriFinance, which is headquartered in St. Louis and serves U.S. farm customers, announced […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
