New York | Reuters — Nearly 30 years ago a malnourished two-year-old girl died in front of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a refugee camp in northern Uganda. Two days ago U.N. food chief David Beasley met a starving five-month-old girl at a hospital in Yemen — she died on Thursday. […] Read more
U.N. counts cost of ‘man-made’ famines
US$400 for a plate of rice and beans?
AFSC borrowing limit increased
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture Financial Services Corporation will be able to borrow another $800 million so it can lend more to farmers, ranchers and value-added food production. The province has set a goal of boosting agriculture and food production by $1.4 billion over the next four years and creating 2,000 new jobs in the sector. The new borrowing […] Read more
Farm incomes — on average — soared in Canada last year
Reading Time: 2 minutes Thanks to soaring crop prices, farm income hit a new record in 2020 and will set another one this year, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “In spite of recent challenges, notably COVID-19’s impacts on the food supply chain, the growth in farm income shows that the sector is weathering these disruptions well and adjusting […] Read more
Future Leaders program now open
Application deadline is April 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now open for the next edition of the AdvancingAg Future Leaders program. The program is aimed at helping farmers and ag professionals aged 18 to 35 develop leadership skills. It matches young people with a mentor from the cropping sector, who has “an eagerness to share your expertise and experiences.” During the year-long […] Read more
Video offers ‘911’ techniques for a newborn calf that’s not breathing
Use a recovery position or some water from a squirt bottle, but never hang a calf on a gate
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new video from the Beef Cattle Research Council demonstrates some simple ways to revive a calf that hasn’t taken a breath after having endured a tough labour. “The day a calf is born is going to be the highest-risk day of its entire life,” Dr. Claire Windeyer says in the video. “So it’s important that […] Read more
Second activist investor buys into Elanco
Reuters — Hedge fund Starboard Value LP has taken a stake in Elanco Animal Health and nominated three directors to the animal healthcare company’s board, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The WSJ report did not mention the size of Starboard’s stake in Elanco, which makes treatments for pets […] Read more
Government pledges funds for agricultural societies
Reading Time: < 1 minute The provincial government says it’s changing the grant formula to help agricultural societies, which have been hit hard by the pandemic. Part of the funding for ag societies is based on events they hold. “As a result of COVID-19, most of these events did not happen, which is why Agriculture and Forestry changed the 2021-22 […] Read more
Cleanup of orphan wells in the province is ramping up
The Orphan Well Association has picked up the pace when it comes to decommissioning wells
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s orphan well problem hasn’t gone away — but it’s got a whole lot better than it was. “We are going at a high pace of activity for this last year,” said Lars DePauw, executive director of the Orphan Well Association. “We’re probably the most active organization in the closure space in Western Canada, including […] Read more
Kazakhstan’s president orders ban on foreign ownership of farmland
Almaty | Reuters — Kazakhstan will permanently ban foreigners from owning or renting farmland in the vast central Asian nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Thursday, ending a lengthy dispute that once prompted anti-government protests. Kazakhstan is a major producer of grains, oilseeds and meat in the former Soviet region sandwiched between China and Russia […] Read more
Canary seed competing with other crops on the rise
'There's a fight for acreage'
MarketsFarm — During the fall of 2020, canary seed crossed above the 30 cents per pound mark — where it’s currently staying. And those who work with the crop expect its price to remain above that mark this year. David Nobbs, pulse merchant for Purely Canada Foods at Saskatoon and former chair of the Canary […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
