A virus that causes early-term abortion and malformed lambs has been confirmed in Saskatchewan. Cache Valley virus is carried by mosquitoes who have fed on infected deer. If an ewe is bitten by a mosquito and infected with the virus for the first time while in the first two months of pregnancy, the infection can… Read More
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) released its Outlook for Principal Field Crops report this week, and is predicting a slight increase in both area seeded and overall yield of field crops for the 2020-21 cropping year, compared to 2019-20. Area Seeded: AAFC is expecting to see a slight increase in area seeded, as wheat and… Read More
The Government of Canada will soon be rolling out its Buy Canadian campaign across the nation, but first it must find a marketing firm to stick-handle the $1.5 to $4 million yearly budget. In a notice posted to a government job portal, they’re on the hunt for a firm to help with their digitally-focused campaign to… Read More
To the relief of farmers, China and the U.S. have agreed and signed Phase One of a “multi-phase” trade deal. It remains to be seen whether this is a truce, a pause, or an easing of tensions, but farmers are encouraged. The Phase One deal is being met with high amounts of bipartisan criticism due… Read More
A familiar name in agriculture has been promoted within the Agri-Food Innovation Council (AIC), as Dr. Wilf Keller joins the organization as its vice-president of outreach. Keller was serving as AIC’s board chair. “We’re looking forward to Dr. Keller joining our team; given his background, he will serve an integral role with our organization as… Read More
The federal government has opened the application process for the first Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. In a press release, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says the Council will identify new and emerging issues, enable on-going dialogue on challenges and opportunities, share information and best practices, and provide advice on the strengths and weaknesses of policies and… Read More
As part of Manitoba’s 150th birthday, Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced they will be adding a new category to the province’s Farm Family Recognition program. “Agriculture has changed greatly over the past 150 years and it’s important that we recognize those families that have been involved in the industry for generations,” Pedersen… Read More
By the time harvest ends this season, the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) estimate Manitoba producers will have paid almost $1.7 million in carbon tax related to the cost of drying the 2019 corn crop. “We are firm in our position that there needs to be an exemption for farmers under the carbon tax framework for… Read More
Following the June announcement of a proposed merger, the boards of Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) and Cereals Canada are moving closer to a vote on full amalgamation of the two entities. Dean Dias, interim CEO of CIGI, says that both organizations have been in conversation over what a merger would look like, what governance… Read More
The Morris Group, comprised of Morris Industries, Morris Sales and Services, and Contour Realty Inc., have been granted an order extending the stay of proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”). The extension was granted until March 27, 2020, and means the company can continue to operate in an effort to restructure and… Read More
During the annual CropSphere conference held at Saskatoon, Sask., Prairie barley commissions announced the formation of the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC). The national not-for-profit organization will facilitate long-term investments aimed at improving profitability and competitiveness for Western Canadian barley farmers, according to a news release. The CBRC is made up of the Saskatchewan Barley… Read More
Bayer is removing two hybrids from the marketplace, after an extensive review of the performance of DEKALB DKTF 92 SC and DKTF 94 CR. Based on “inconsistent performance” in 2019, the company says that these two hybrids did “not meet Bayer’s expectations.” 2019 was the first year the two hybrids were in commercial production. Bayer’s… Read More
In a long-anticipated signing, the U.S. and China have agreed to the first phase of a multi-level trade deal that heavily features agricultural products. The deal is being celebrated by some in the White House as a major victory, but those that wanted ultimate structural changes with China will have to wait until a possible… Read More
Corteva Agriscience, Bunge, Botaneco, and Protein Industries Canada have announced a canola breeding project worth more than $27 million. The canola hybrid program will be the first of its kind, as it is the first commercial breeding project explicitly focused on protein quality improvement of the oilseed. Higher protein canola meal will result in new,… Read More
The bulls and bears are fighting for dominance in this fresh calendar year — and there are some major factors at play weighing down some markets, but fuelling others. Wendy White, grain marketing manager with Viterra, says there’s no shortage of news and reports feeding in to the grain markets. From last week’s WASDE report,… Read More