The oat market once again appears headed for a burdensome supply this fall, as strong prices through much of the winter have led growers to pencil more oats into their seeding plans for 2020. New crop prices have started dropping in recent weeks, but many growers on the eastern side of the Canadian Prairies signed… Read More

Although there are still talks happening behind closed doors, progress of the business risk management program (BRM) review feels as though it’s slow-moving. At this year’s CropConnect conference held at Winnipeg, Man., the topic was acknowledged by federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, but there was no mention of action — which is what most are… Read More

After last year’s sudden switch to wet weather, forecasting into 2020 is proving challenging says Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics Inc. And with no clear patterns in the oceans, and even prediction models for seasonal weather showing little indication of what to expect, this summer’s forecast is even more challenging. Still, Kehler has some… Read More

Farm groups across the country have ramped up pressure on the federal government to address the impact of the federal carbon tax and to recognize agriculture’s positive contributions in capturing greenhouse gases. Both Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) in Manitoba and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) have released studies quantifying the cost of the… Read More

The new code of practice being developed for grain farms across Canada is aimed at proactively building public trust, potentially mitigating the need for increased paperwork and regulations down the road, according to the vice-chair of the Canada Grains Council. The voluntary code of practice — being created by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops… Read More

There were celebratory handshakes and hugs among staff and farmers on the steering committee after the results of the Manitoba farm group amalgamation vote were announced last week at CropConnect. Among the crowd, standing nearby with a relieved grin on his face, was a farmer from southern Manitoba who led a public campaign to unite… Read More