Reading Time: 3 minutes A series of droughts in the ’80s was a defining event for a generation of Alberta farmers. But two producers who farmed through those times have a hopeful message: Better technology and management practices have put farmers in a much better position to handle extreme weather. “In the mid-’80s — 1982 through 1985 — we […] Read more
Farmers are better able to cope with dry times, say veteran producers
Reducing moisture loss through practices such as no till and rotational grazing are major advances
Drought assistance deadline is Jan. 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute Phase 2 of the emergency drought relief program for livestock producers is now taking applications — but only until Jan. 31. Producers hit by drought were eligible for a payment of $94 per breeding cow in the first round. In the second phase, they can get an additional payment for extraordinary feed costs (to a […] Read more
Last year was world’s sixth-warmest on record, U.S. scientists say
Heat content of oceans at record level, NOAA says
Reuters — Last year ranked as the sixth-warmest year on record, causing extreme weather events around the world and adding to evidence supporting the globe’s long-term warming, according to an analysis on Thursday by two U.S. government agencies. The data compiled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA also revealed that […] Read more
La Niña likely to continue into spring, U.S. forecaster says
Reuters — La Nina conditions are likely to continue during the Northern Hemisphere spring, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. The La Niña weather pattern, characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, has a 67 per cent chance of persisting from March through May this year, the National Weather Service’s […] Read more
La Niña introduces itself with Prairie cold snap
MarketsFarm — The frigid conditions which had enveloped the Prairie provinces in recent weeks is a sign La Niña has come again, according to a Kansas-based meteorologist. Since mid-December, the Prairies have been in a deep freeze beginning with temperatures at least 10 C below-normal. Since the holiday season, many towns and cities in the […] Read more
Hail payouts exceed premiums in 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minute It was a near-record year for claims in Western Canada “despite a decrease in overall storm activity,” says the Canadian Crop Hail Association. Claim payments to Prairie farmers topped $322 million, and were up 78 per cent compared to the five-year average. It was the highest payout since 2008 and meant insurers, which collected $309 […] Read more
CN rerouting trains, aims to re-open line to Vancouver on weekend
Reuters — Canadian National Railway (CN) said Wednesday it was aiming to reopen its track in the crucial Kamloops-to-Vancouver corridor in flood-hit British Columbia this weekend. The Pacific province, trying to rebuild after devastating floods in November, received more rain over the weekend and this week. CN operates one of the two critical rail lines […] Read more
British Columbia braces for more heavy rain
Ottawa | Reuters — British Columbia is facing more heavy rains as the province tries to recover from massive floods and mudslides, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth told reporters on Tuesday. Farnworth said crews were working to shore up dikes and dams, adding some roads would be closed protectively. Flooding over Nov. 14-16 in Canada’s […] Read more
B.C. extends fuel restrictions following flooding
Agricultural and farm-use vehicles exempted as 'essential'
Reuters — Government officials in British Columbia on Monday extended restrictions on the use of fuel by residents, saying it was needed for emergency vehicles as the region recovers from devastating floods. The order, first issued on Nov. 19, limits vehicles deemed “non-essential” by the government to 30 litres of gasoline or diesel fuel per […] Read more
B.C. floods put the spotlight on ‘vulnerable’ rail corridor
Transport sector needs to ‘learn our lessons’ after unprecedented number of washouts and slides
Reading Time: 6 minutes It could take months for grain movement to fully recover from the catastrophic flooding in B.C. that buried rail lines in mud and debris or washed away the ground under the tracks. And the unprecedented damage has highlighted the risk that Prairie farmers face in getting their grain to port. “The rail system there has […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
