The fourteen day closure of an Olymel hog plant in Quebec has Ontario pork producers scrambling to find a slaughter destination for their finished hogs. Ontario producers normally ship around 20,000 pigs to Quebec for processing each week. The plant at Yamachiche, Que. and its 1000 employees have not been operating since March 29 after… Read More
Category: Podcasts
It’s been a long year this week, hasn’t it? Welcome to Friday’s RealAg Radio, where we’re all trying to keep up with just how wide-spread the economic carnage of COVID-19 will be. Joining host Shaun Haney on today’s show are: Andrew Campbell, Ontario dairy farmer and occasional host of the show; Jeff English, now with… Read More
IntelliDrive, the variable rate seed metering system, is expanding its Canadian footprint. The company, which uses 12-volt electric motors to control individual sections of seeding equipment to enable variable rate planting, initially focused its efforts on John Deere central commodity system drills. Two years ago, IntelliDrive made its first foray to Canada as an exhibitor… Read More
Thanks for tuning in for our latest episode of RealAg Radio! On today’s show, you’ll hear: The top ag news stories of the day with host Shaun Haney; Jeff Bennett, farmer from Dodsland, Sask. and director with the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, about the latest increase in the carbon tax; and, Dr. David Kohl,… Read More
Growing pulses can be tricky at times, and getting proper emergence keeps the crop competitive. Ensuring the crop has the proper amount of nutrients is key to a high and healthy yield, and that means choosing the right type and amount of inoculant. But inoculants aren’t like other crop production products, as they have a… Read More
The packing industry is crucial to the entire food value chain in agriculture and, with that, comes the importance of government inspectors. The question is, what happens if these inspectors contract COVID-19 or if they aren’t able to work due to the risk of contracting the virus? The issue was highlighted with the partial closure… Read More
Snowflakes are flying across the Prairies, and some parts of Alberta are seeing -20 degrees C. How about that for April 1st? Usually, the dust is flying around this time of the year. It may be time to cozy up with a good blanket, and listen to our latest RealAg Radio episode! On today’s show,… Read More
We’re glad to see that most people went easy on the April Fools jokes, as it seems that life right now is one big prank — what with COVID-19 tanking the economy, taking lives, and adding so much uncertainty to the economy. But, dear friends, all is not awful, and there’s still a crop to… Read More
As of now, there haven’t been any ethanol plants closed in Ontario, but there are reports that many plants are dialing back production amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does that mean for overall corn demand and, of course, price? Crosby Devitt, the new CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario, says that as of right now,… Read More
After wreaking havoc in the U.S. and parts of Ontario, herbicide-resistant waterhemp has arrived on the scene on the eastern side of the Canadian Prairies. Patches of the prolific weed — a cousin to Palmer amaranth — were found in multiple fields in five municipalities in Manitoba last year. In one case, over 30 acres… Read More
It’s the last day of March — did it go out for a lion or a lamb where you are? Whether it was calm or hectic, we’ve got a great show lined up to round out the day (and month), so you won’t want to miss it. You’ll hear: The top ag news with host… Read More
Many industries are struggling to cope with COVID-19, but in agriculture farmers still have to plant. Today (March 31, 2020) the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its 2020 planting intentions report. Canadian farmers are watching this report very closely as the U.S. corn and soybean acreage — and possible carryout — impacts Canadian… Read More
Olymel’s decision to shutter a Quebec pork processing plant for a full two weeks after nine staff tested positive for COVID-19 means that the pork industry has had to mobilize to ensure pork continues to be processed and that pork producers have somewhere to deliver hogs. “There’s a lot of upheavals right now, in our… Read More
Social distancing has forced many Canadian businesses to shift their workforce to a work-from-home setting, and agricultural industry is no exception. In agriculture, however, social interaction is part of the fabric — from product delivery, to agronomic advising, or troubleshooting ration adjustment. All of these activities require the support of suppliers who traditionally have spent… Read More
Does building your corn planting and side-dress fertilizer program around a fertilizer cart make sense? That’s what Blenheim, Ont., farmer Joe De Brouwer does and that’s why he’s on this episode of The Sharp Edge on RealAgriculture. De Brouwer, who farms with his father and two uncles, tells Maizex Seeds’ agronomist Greg Stewart that an… Read More