As temperatures warm, fields across the west are starting to see flea beetle emergence, and cotyledon defoliation. And that has producers wondering about when to take action. “There’s been some discussion about different threshold levels,” says Errin Willenborg, agronomist with Federated Co-op Ltd. The discussion stems from confusion around two listed thresholds — the 25… Read More
Statistics Canada is out with its first results of this year’s Field Crop Survey to gauge how much of each principal field crop is currently stored on-farm. The survey was conducted from the beginning until the end of March. According to the report, farmers were asked to report the amounts of grain, oilseeds, and special… Read More
At the start at what most would call seeding month, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced an extension to the AgriStability program along with an increase to the Advanced Payment Program cap. To some, this was good news — but not enough. Manitoba wheat grower and newly minted Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association president,… Read More
The federal government has increased the Advanced Payment Program cap from $400,000 to $1,000,0000 for all producers in an effort to help farmers in the face of current trade issues with China. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced several changes to the Advanced Payments Program at a press conference Wednesday morning. “Canada’s farmers… Read More
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Andrew Scheer says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not doing enough to clear up the stuck canola shipments to China and wants Trudeau to initiate a World Trade Organization challenge sooner that later. “It has been four months since China announced it would ban Canadian imports of canola,… Read More
Canola growers are asking whether they should chase moisture this spring across dry regions of Western Canada. That’s a question Canola Council of Canada agronomist Autumn Barnes tackles on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School. “If growers have to chase moisture down to 1.5 or even two inches, they’re putting a lot of pressure on… Read More
Canada, and Western Canada specifically, has been incredibly successful at growing millions of acres of plant-based protein in the form of peas, chickpeas, and canola meal. With a few exceptions, nearly all processing of Canada’s pulse crops happens outside of the country. Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, has been tasked with changing that…. Read More
Every week should be soil week, but this week especially as we mark National Soil Conservation week. Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson challenges listeners to think differently about soil in this week’s edition — at a minimum, stay off the darn fields while they’re wet, and feed that soil some residue! Also this week,… Read More
What’s yellow, baled, and wanted all over? Straw of course! The pretty sad wheat crop in Ontario has many farmers asking, “what’s straw worth?” and, “which cereal crop will give me the most?” Host Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson tackles that question and so much more in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. Hear more about straw… Read More
If you could move a chunk of acres to fall planting, diversify the crop mix, and get a jump on herbicide-resistant weeds, would you? All of that is an option with winter canola, but the crop isn’t without its challenges. Currently, there’s only one registered winter canola variety for Ontario growers, says Eric Page, research… Read More
Variable seed size, seed costs, and unique seeding equipment can make recommending a canola seeding rate nearly impossible except on a farm-by-farm basis. What agronomists can do is help farmers work backwards from the desired plant stand count to get where they need to be, but what if that number proves very expensive? The Canola… Read More
On Wednesday’s RealAg Radio, Kelsey Johnson, with iPolitics, joined show host Shaun Haney to recap what she saw and heard at both the house ag committee and trade committee meetings held Tuesday, April 2. At the ag committee meeting, Johnson says attendees heard from Viterra, Richardson International, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), whereas… Read More
The week after coming off her first trip to Saskatchewan, federal Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie Claude Bibeau says she has sent a letter to China requesting to send a delegation. The news comes at a Monday afternoon update provided by the minister, who says the issue between Canadian canola exports and China remains a… Read More
In her first trip to Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spent the day in Saskatoon discussing the issue of China blocking Canadian canola shipments with producers and industry stakeholders. Trade Diversification Minister, Jim Carr was also present during the two part meeting held late last week. Bibeau says they’re “ready to go” when… Read More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Winnipeg, Man,. on Tuesday and took questions from reporters about what’s happening with Canada’s trade relations with China. Questions centred on canola, as earlier that morning it was announced China banned Viterra from exporting canola seed due to “hazardous pests.” Trudeau said, “We’re continuing to work very hard to try… Read More