Whether it’s the 30 percent increase in oat acres expected in Western Canada this year, the news that one of the largest millers in the world won’t accept oats treated with glyphosate, or the underlying trend lower in the entire cereal crop complex, there’s plenty of uncertainty to go around in the oat market right now. And… Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Zero should be every farm’s goal when it comes to number of injuries or accidents during seeding — how do you make that a reality? Tractors, trucks and seeding equipment across the country are starting to roll for #plant15, and with another busy season comes an elevated risk of injuries and fatalities on farms. Unfortunately,… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario is asking the province of Ontario to extend past key planting dates the consultation period regarding new neonicotinoid regulations. “This request is within the spirit of the rules for the Environmental Registry consultations,” says GFO. The registry’s own website says, ‘Some proposals may provide more time (e.g. 60 days or 90… Read More
An increase in soybean crush capacity in North Dakota might benefit growers on the eastern side of the Canadian prairies. Archer Daniels Midland announced Monday that it is adding soybean crushing capabilities to its plant at Enderlin, North Dakota — less than 100km southwest of Fargo. The facility is currently set up to process canola, flax and… Read More
What’s the number one question you ask of yourself or your agronomist as you plan your corn crop? It’s likely, “What’s the right rate of nitrogen for this field?” It’s the golden question, as Dr. Dave Hooker, of the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, says, and the answer can be as low as zero or as high… Read More
Remember last year, when hog prices spiked and concerns about high bacon prices hit headlines in the mainstream news? For pig producers and processors, those days are distant history, as the North American pork market has since undergone a major reversal. Not wanting to expose consumers to volatility, grocery stores generally lag behind the hog market in moving prices higher (and… Read More
Food is growing in importance, but rural Canada is losing its influence. How can that be? Former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Joe Clark has a few ideas. They came to the fore last month for 700-plus participants at the Grain Farmers of Ontario popular March Classic, in London, ON. The organization made a good choice… Read More
Trish Jordan of Monsanto Canada gives her top tips for talking to the media, and describes her most memorable moment in the limelight. Imagine you’re in an interview, and after wrapping up your answer to one of the interviewer’s more difficult questions, you’re met with a wall of silence. To many people, lapses in conversation… Read More
You may not be a poultry producer in Ontario, but you still play a role in decreasing the risk of spreading avian influenza within the province. So far confirmed on two farms and suspected on a third in Oxford County, the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza is incredibly deadly to birds and very easy to… Read More
Grains all ended the week lower as planting continues south of the 49th parallel with some activity here in Western Canada but things have been slowed by some sporadic, cooler weather. The USDA’s progress report is showing us that corn sowing is slightly behind schedule with the southeast and eastern regions way behind. As a result,… Read More
In March of 2014, Agrimatics announced the availability of a new product — the Agrimatics Libra. It’s a cloud-based system that sends weigh scale data from grain carts to a smartphone or tablet. All the operator needs is a small battery-operated device from Agrimatics and the free mobile app. With those two ingredients, any iPhone 4S (or… Read More
Updated April 28, 2015: CFIA confirms that the third farm is infected with the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain. Humane depopulation of the premises was concluded April 26. A turkey farm in Oxford County has been named as “presumed” positive for H5 avian influenza, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The 8,000 head turkey… Read More
The grass is greening up, the calves are hitting the ground and the steaks are about to hit barbeques across North America, even as cattle prices flirt with new record highs. There’s no way around it — it’s a great time to be a cattle producer in Canada. No one begrudges the cattle industry some… Read More
Catch up on this week’s ag news — from seeding to the federal budget to the avian influenza situation in Ontario — here’s This Week on Real Ag for April 24th, 2015: Mentions: Wheat Pete’s Word: Plant’15 Begins, Celebrating Soil, Trouble in the Corn Bins and More More Wheat and Oats, Fewer Canola Acres —… Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few… Read More