A billboard about Alberta barley’s prospects under climate change in the University of Alberta’s ‘Truth Matters’ promotion — a series of ads meant to spark discussion about its researchers’ work — has been winnowed out of the campaign. Jacqui Tam, the Edmonton-based U of A’s vice-president for university relations, announced Sunday it would withdraw the […] Read more
University’s ‘Beefier Barley’ billboard binned
Late Canadian mustard crop facing quality downgrades
MarketsFarm — An early blast of snow and cold across the Prairies has delayed harvest operations for a mustard crop already running behind normal, with quality downgrades expected for any mustard still in the field. “It has to be absolutely flattened,” said mustard buyer Walter Dyck of Olds Products at Lethbridge on the effect of […] Read more
Alberta snow further delays canola harvest, boosts prices
MarketsFarm — Canola futures finished up at Monday’s close, boosted by a weather premium after a low-pressure system brought considerable snowfall to parts of Alberta over the weekend. Snow was mostly concentrated in the southern region of the province. Calgary and surrounding areas received around 30 centimetres of snow, according to preliminary results from Environment […] Read more
Chemical firm sees strong demand for methane-reducing feed additive
Amsterdam | Reuters — Dutch specialty chemicals company DSM is expecting strong demand for a feed additive which limits the amount of methane burped into the air by cows, its contribution to the global fight against climate change. Methane has a much larger effect on global warming than carbon dioxide (CO2) and reducing methane emissions […] Read more
Storms leave close to 1,000 hail claims on Prairies
MarketsFarm — There were almost 1,000 claims for hail damage across the Prairies following a series of storms Sept. 15-20, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA). The CCHA said the most destructive of the storms during that week came on Sept. 17. “There is significant damage from this late–season storm. There was heavy […] Read more
Alberta harvest progress behind in all regions
Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of September 23
Reading Time: 5 minutes Accumulated precipitation in September has been varied across the province, from less than 20 mm in the eastern parts of the North West Region, western parts of the North East Region and central parts of the Peace Region, to upward of 30 mm in most areas in the Southern and Central Regions, and up to […] Read more
Snow to stall harvests for western Prairies, Montana
Chicago | Reuters — A weekend storm is poised to bring more than a foot (30.5 cm) of snow to parts of Montana and the Canadian Prairies, putting portions of the region’s spring wheat and canola crops at risk, a meteorologist said. Excessively wet conditions in the region this month have already slowed fieldwork and […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Rains delay large Manitoba bean harvest
MarketsFarm — Manitoba farmers seeded their largest dry edible bean crop in more than a decade this spring, but adverse conditions are causing delays getting it off the fields. “Last week we had some substantial moisture in the Red River Valley,” pulse specialist Dennis Lange of Manitoba Agriculture said, noting the system brought up to […] Read more
Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality
Chicago | Reuters — Excessively wet conditions in the northern U.S. Plains and Canadian Prairies have hurt the quality of the region’s spring and durum wheat crops, potentially tightening supplies of top grades of the grains, handlers and agronomists said. Rains and heavy dew have slowed the harvest and, worse, caused mature, un-harvested wheat kernels […] Read more
Harvest restarts in Alberta, late progress seen in all regions
Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of September 17
Reading Time: 5 minutes Harvest operations have resumed in most parts of the province, thanks to warmer and windy conditions. However, progress has been slow, due to some shower activities bringing from less than one mm of rain in the eastern and southern parts of the province to upwards of 30 mm in some areas in the Peace Region. […] Read more