With Brazil locked in a major bribery scandal that has closed most of its export markets for beef and chicken, the cattle market scrambles to understand the full situation. Brazil is the number one exporter of chicken in the world (40%) which means if borders are shut long term, chicken supplies will be extremely tight,… Read More
Month: March 2017
So these two Newfoundlanders end up at a farming conference… It may sound like the beginning of great joke, but it’s actually none other than RealAgriculture’s Bern Tobin meeting up with General Rick Hillier, former chief of defence staff for the Canadian Armed Forces, to talk about leadership and the importance of people. Speaking at… Read More
Summer may feel a long way off, but being prepared to manage heat stress in dairy cattle goes a long way in warding off the production losses that go along with it. We’re also well into the 2016 feed crop, and there are reports of several farmers struggling to keep mycotoxin (specifically DON/vomitoxin) levels low enough… Read More
Growers and custom applicators will need to be vigilant this spring to ensure dicamba herbicide hits targeted, glyphosate-tolerant Xtend soybeans — and then stays put. In Part One of our series on dicamba stewardship, Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin and BASF Canada technical development manager Rob Miller discussed how a pre-plant application is the best strategy… Read More
It’s an action-packed Thursday for RealAg Radio, and solo host Shaun Haney tackles the Saskatchewan provincial budget (read more here), a U.S. perspective on wheat markets, canola moves, and more. From the bulls and bears commentary with Angie Setzer (@GoddessofGrain) and Dwight Nichol (@DLNDwight), to answering Canada-wide (and sometimes North America-wide!) agronomic questions with Peter Johnson… Read More
The federal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, revealed its latest budget, and agriculture and agri-food figures prominently in the 2017-18 fiscal plan. From new export targets and spending programs designed to “uncap the potential of the agriculture industry,” this budget commits $8.2 billion under the Skills and Innovation Plan with a goal of… Read More
Pretty field pictures and awesome harvest videos aside, drones, or UAVs, are proving their worth on the farm through field scouting and development of management zones for precision farming applications. But there are many that see drones as an overblown camera or a fun toy, not fully recognizing the present usefulness and future potential of the… Read More
Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan government rolled out its 2017-18 cost-cutting budget yesterday, and there’s something for everyone to pick on. Affecting all sectors, Wall is increasing the provincial sales tax (PST) from five to six per cent, and has re-written what goods and services are no longer PST-exempt. Specific for farmers, beginning April 1, 2017, fuel tax… Read More
Water is a key component of beer, explains RealAg Radio occasional co-host Lyndsey Smith, and co-host Shaun Haney is pretty sure Chris Farley sketch comedy is hard-hitting news that matters to farmers. That’s where we start off with the March 22, 2017, edition of RealAg Radio, but we promise you, it gets better. From a… Read More
Will Canadians see a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement any time soon? Don’t bet on it, says political commentator David Frum. Earlier this week, the editor of The Atlantic and former speech writer for George W. Bush, shared his thoughts on the Donald Trump presidency and possible NAFTA renegotiation at the Grain Farmers of Ontario… Read More
With government funding programs comes last minute changes and updates, but never fear, RealAgriculture and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association regional program lead, Margaret May, have joined forces to bring you the latest updates to GF2 programming (That’s Growing Forward 2, for all of you who have been hiding under a rock). Of particular… Read More
Ladies and gentlemen, farmers and agronomists, we’ve hit triple digits! That’s right, this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word is number 100, and from all of us here at RealAgriculture thank you for following along and making this podcast a huge success in a short time. Host Peter Johnson has made the most of this… Read More
There’s a reluctance among the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signatories to walk away from all the progress made with the deal, even though the United States has withdrawn its involvement with the deal. And while Claire Citeau, with the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, is disappointed with the TPP deal proper being hamstrung, she says last week’s meeting… Read More
RealAg Radio co-host Shaun Haney is flying solo in hosting this edition of the radio show, and speaking of flying solo — does your use of a drone now fall into the commercial category? New regulations announced last week puts major restrictions on recreational use of UAVs. How do you get a commercial license? Occasional… Read More
When it comes to mating horses, there’s a lot at stake. Stud fees can soar into the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And likewise, offspring from a particularly promising pairing can be extremely valuable. These animals could be the start of a new line, and lead to generations of prime performers. But… Read More