Federal Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau (r) visits the Ag in Motion outdoor farm show near Langham, Sask. on July 20, 2022. (Greg Berg photo)

Ag ministers lock in next policy funding framework

AgriStability compensation rate to rise; new EGS program planned; some agmins decry feds' approach on fertilizer emission cuts

The new federal-provincial ag policy funding framework due to take effect next April 1 will include a new ecological goods and services plan and a sweetened compensation rate for AgriStability. Following meetings this week in Saskatoon, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial and territorial counterparts on Friday mapped out the bones of their […] Read more

(Lightguard/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan crops advancing quickly

MarketsFarm — Hot and humid conditions saw crops in Saskatchewan advance quickly during the week ended Monday, according to the latest provincial crop report — although the humidity has slowed haying. When humidity is high, cutting hay becomes more challenging and hay that is cut does not dry down as quickly, which can result in […] Read more


(Leonid Eremeychuk/iStock/Getty Images)

Weather swing prompts questions on spray water quality

Many areas have seen significant changes in water quality, which can affect the impact of herbicides

Reading Time: 2 minutes You may think you know what to expect when drawing water for the sprayer. That assumption may come at a cost, says expert Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix Research and Training. Swings in weather, from drought last year to wet this year, can affect water quality, said the author of the popular blog, Sprayers 101. “Things […] Read more

CBOT November 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn futures ease on improving weather

CBOT wheat firms on export news

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures fell on Wednesday on forecasts for improving weather in the Midwest, including rains next week that should boost crop production prospects, analysts said. Wheat futures rose as traders awaited the outcome of Egyptian wheat purchase negotiations, as well as talks on a possible deal to boost […] Read more


Excessive heat warnings (in magenta) and heat advisories (in orange) were in place July 19, 2022 for areas across much of the southern U.S. Plains. (Weather.gov)

Sizzling heat stresses livestock, crops in southern U.S. Plains

Chicago | Reuters — Scorching temperatures in the southern U.S. Plains are stressing cattle as well as crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans, meteorologists and traders said on Tuesday. Temperatures were forecast to reach 111 F (44 C) in parts of the Texas Panhandle, a core area for cotton and cattle production. While much […] Read more



CBOT December 2022 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat up on broad commodity strength

Crop-stressing dry heat expected in Midwest

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat futures rose on Monday in response to worries about potentially stressful hot weather in the Midwest and Europe, coupled with bullish sentiment in crude oil and a weaker dollar, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade benchmark December corn settled up seven cents at $6.10-3/4 per bushel, […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures up on hot spell, firm meat prices

Heat wave lowers animals' rate of gain

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Monday on spillover strength from outside markets including Wall Street, as well as firm wholesale beef prices and worries about hot weather stressing cattle in the Plains and Midwest, traders said. CME August live cattle futures settled up 0.7 cent at 135.625 cents/lb., […] Read more


This map shows the percent of average precipitation across the Prairies during the 30-day period ending June 27. Both western and eastern regions received well above average amounts but the rains seemed to miss most of Saskatchewan, with a large portion of the province receiving well below average amounts.

Take your pick — there’s a forecast for everyone

Here are six forecasts for July and August, and they are all over the (weather) map

Reading Time: 3 minutes June seemed to go by in a flash. We are now halfway through 2022, and depending on where you live, it has been a very interesting six months. We will look back and see how June weather played out across the Prairies, and then look ahead to see what forecasters are calling for during July […] Read more

File photo of federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on a tour of one of the original ‘Living Lab’ sites in Quebec that led up to the launch of the national ACS program in 2021. (Photo courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Feds boost Living Labs’ reach to all provinces

Nine projects, including first-Indigenous led lab, share $54M

The first crop of federally-funded “Living Labs” backed by the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program, set up to prove carbon-sequestering on-farm processes, takes the concept to the six provinces where such farm-level labs weren’t yet in place. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Thursday in Calgary, announced $54 million from the $185 million, 10-year ACS program […] Read more