This past week saw a lot of reports from various places, but the report that most outside markets are waiting for will come from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday, December 16th, as the Fed will decide whether it’s raising U.S. interest rates or not. The Canadian Loonie continues to struggle against the U.S. dollar,… Read More
Month: December 2015
The beef price cycle certainly appears to have peaked, as Canadian cattle prices have dropped below year-ago levels in the last few weeks. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock and RealAg’s Shaun Haney try to look through the fog of what’s happening in the beef market, with dropping prices and increasing protein supplies across North America, in… Read More
If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on a piece of meat will have to order horse, bison or ostrich because beef and pork will break their… Read More
Two giants in the crop input industry — The Dow Chemical Co and DuPont — have announced they’re joining forces in a “merger of equals.” After combining, the new company would be split into three independent businesses. The new company would be named DowDuPont, with the intention of separating the merged entity into three publicly-traded… Read More
Harvest is wrapped up and your yield monitor has accumulated another year of data. What should you do with it? In this episode of Corn School, AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan shares his thoughts on how you can use that yield data to guide soil sampling and create management zones in your fields. Many farmers… Read More
Despite large protests calling on the province to delay or drop the legislation, the Alberta government passed Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, on Thursday. The legislation passed third reading with 44-29 vote after government house leader Brian Mason invoked closure to limit debate. With mixed messages coming from government… Read More
The discussion about late nitrogen applications in corn and wheat keeps rolling on this week’s edition of the Word thanks to plenty of feedback and thoughts from you! Edwin, Wayne, Nick, Jamie, Mark, Pete, David — your thoughts and questions are among the topics RealAg resident agronomist Peter Johnson covers in this week’s discussion on nitrogen application… Read More
Being selected as a 2013 Nuffield Scholar led Clayton Robins, a rancher from Rivers, Manitoba, around the world. It was a journey that began by shining a light on grasses with high concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates, and eventually, meant turning up the house lights… “It branched into everything from looking at rumen physiology, ruminant nutrition all the way through to… Read More
From the reported merger talks between two giants in the ag input industry to limited talks about the proposed farm labour legislation in Alberta, here’s this week’s TWORA podcast, featuring perspectives from John Masswohl, Ian Brodie, Brian Voth, Derek Jamieson and Richard Phillips: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts… Read More
If malt barley is in your crop plan for 2016, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre has issued its list of recommended varieties for the 2016-17 year based on market demand. The list (find it here) is compiled by the CMBTC’s members, which include grain companies, seed companies, maltsters, brewers and government ag departments. CDC… Read More
As field equipment grows in size and complexity — not to mention price — it’s important to know how to use a machine before the start of peak busy season. Mistakes can be costly, both financially and in terms of safety. What if there was a way to practice driving a combine without all the risks… Read More
After months of speculation and several attempts at consolidation in the agricultural chemical and crop input industry, two of the major players are reportedly in “advanced merger talks.” Nothing has been announced or finalized, but both the Wall Street Journal and Reuters are reporting that Dow Chemical Co and DuPont are working on a merger that could be… Read More
If you look back 35 years, there have been plenty of changes in Canadian agriculture and the environment in which farmers and agribusinesses operate. There are fewer farms now than in 1980, and they make up a smaller portion of eligible voters. While the societal contributions of farmers are no less important, governments tend to offer less support than… Read More
Canadian cattle producers have a new pain control option for their animals thanks to a Calgary-based company. Solvet has formally launched Meloxicam Oral Suspension, a liquid formulation that is administered orally to treat pain resulting from injuries, illness, calving and surgical procedures, including castration. The release coincides with the implementation of new pain management requirements… Read More
Many of the Canadian companies who participated in Agritechnica — the world’s largest ag trade show — in Germany last month were there as part of a delegation led by the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, also known as STEP. As president and CEO Chris Dekker explains below, STEP is a unique private-public partnership that receives… Read More