It was a timeline that was described as aggressive and fast, but not totally impossible. Early in the NAFTA renegotiations, everyone recognized that attempting to complete the negotiations within a seven month timeline was going to be difficult, but optimists thought our economic bond would win in the end. The July 1st Mexican election and… Read More
Year: 2018
One of Canada’s largest grain companies says it has withdrawn from the country’s canola and flax industry groups, leaving the Canola Council of Canada and the Flax Council of Canada with tough budget decisions for 2018. Richardson International, the parent company of Richardson Pioneer, is no longer funding the two national oilseed organizations as of… Read More
It’s a jam-packed Agronomic Monday! Today on the show: Ken Currah, president of the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) Association, talks about the growth in the program, the need for CCAs in the province, the 4R Certification and more. Hear the full conversation. Mapping field profitability — Clarence Swaton of the University of Guelph talks… Read More
Claas has extended its track technology from combines and tractors to forage harvesters, with Terra Trac now being trialed on the Jaguar line, with a feature designed to reduce scuffing when turning. The option to use tracks, according to the company, means increased traction, and lower rut formation, complete with an automatic reduction of contact… Read More
Soil moisture reserves from a wet year in 2016 carried the 2017 crop through a very dry summer across the southern Canadian prairies, enabling some better-than-expected yields, but also leaving the moisture bank account depleted heading into the 2018 growing season. The rapid transition from wet to dry has several implications for the upcoming season,… Read More
Ontario’s veterinary community is responding to the rise in goat and sheep production with new education and research initiatives. Jeff Wichtel, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), says since September, his school’s curriculum has expanded teaching to include more information on small ruminants, and is conducting several new research projects to build up health… Read More
Grain markets the first full week of January were highlighted by the first World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report of the calendar year on Friday. The report was generally viewed as bearish, but soybeans were able to catch a bid and rally more than a dime thanks to a smaller American yield estimate…. Read More
Every year in the second week of January, we get the first peek of the year into what the industry, farmers and government are focused on in Saskatoon. This was a great week at Crop Production Show and CropSphere, as Kelvin and I covered the two events on opposite ends of a very cold city… Read More
Whenever I watch television, it doesn’t take very long before a dentist or doctor appears in a commercial, telling you which toothpaste to use or what to buy to live a healthy life. In those ads, the main spokesperson (or actor) is wearing a white coat. That white coat is used as a sign of… Read More
On today’s show: Top Ag News Panelists Corey Loessin (SaskPulse) and Doyle Wiebe (SaskCanola) join Shaun and Kelvin to discuss what got them involved in ag politics and how to get more people involved, as well as what’s on the mind of growers now, trade issues, President Trump on NAFTA, and the mood for 2018…. Read More
The USDA published some larger-than-expected estimates for corn and wheat in its January reports published on Friday, but the futures market — particularly for corn — showed little response. The January 12th data release included the monthly WASDE report, the annual Crop Production summary, the December 31st quarterly stocks report, and the first Winter Wheat Seedings… Read More
Almost half of Ontario’s certified crop advisors packed a London, ON hotel conference room this week for their organization’s annual meeting and conference. Ontario Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Association chair Ken Currah says meeting attendance is a strong indication of grower demand for agronomic services and the expertise that CCAs bring to the farm. He… Read More
Drones are likely packed away for winter, but now is the time to take them out to perform battery maintenance. The chemistry inside lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries used to power most drones breaks down when kept at full or low charge levels for extended periods of time, reducing battery life and capacity. A battery that… Read More
December ended with very cold weather across Canada, but overall Canadian tractor and combine sales numbers reported by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) were hot, compared to 2016. The December 2017 the Association of Equipment Manufacturers Canadian Flash Report shows 2WD farm tractors up 15.1%, 4WD farm tractors up 24.5% and self propelled combines… Read More
Host Shaun Haney starts off the show asking what you do with your extra time. If we are creating efficiencies in farming and agriculture, is our additional time benefiting the business, or are we giving ourselves much-needed personal time too? When is the last time you went fishing, hiking, hunting, or just sat down to… Read More