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Persistent drought has been hard on the Saskatchewan cow herd, but the lack of workable business risk management programs will be harder on it still.

Jeff Yorga, first vice president with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, says that ranchers in the province are still waiting for the the federal government to finalize details on the AgriRecovery disaster relief roll-out for this year.

“Some of the things that producers have had to do to get through this year aren’t going to be allowable expenses. And you know, we’re waiting to see what that is … my my initial concern right now is given the delay in the program, and given some of the parameters around it that this isn’t going to get to the people that actually need it,” Yorga says.

AgriRecovery is a disaster relief program, however, not an over-arching business risk management program. Without robust, dependable BRM programs, Yorga worries for the future of the cattle industry in Saskatchewan.

“We need a serious business risk management program in Canada for the cattle industry. And two years later (since 2021), we still don’t have it. And so, you know, my hope is that, whatever happens with AgriRecovery isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of the discussion about how we can have a vibrant and growing beef industry in Canada, that that doesn’t get wiped out when we miss the rain,” Yorga says.

Related: Enduring multiple droughts — if AgriStability doesn’t work now, when will it? 

AgriRecovery drought relief programs on the way for livestock producers in Saskatchewan and Alberta

Futures prices for corn, soybeans, and wheat all dropped on Friday on the heels of bearish soybean supply numbers in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Sept. 29 Quarterly Stocks Report.

Traders were paying close attention to old crop corn and soybean estimates, as a review of the balance sheet was completed. As expected, there were revisions in average, yield, and production for the 2022 crop.

Old crop corn stocks in all positions on September 1, 2023 totalled 1.36 billion bushels — down one per cent year-over-year.

Soybeans came in higher than trade expectations, catching the market off guard. Ending stocks for old crop soybeans totalled 268 million bushels, down two per cent year-over-year, and 26 million bushels higher than what the trade was anticipating. The 2022 soybean production was revised down 5.93 million bushels from the previous estimate.

In the all-wheat category, supplies in all positions on September 1, 2023 totalled 1.78 billion bushels, up slightly from a year ago. Winter wheat production was at 1.25 billion, which was higher than traders expected. Spring wheat also came in above, with durum falling in line with expectations.

Hannah Stamp of Vauxhall, Alta., and Sarah MacDonald of Vanderhoof, B.C., have been selected as the Outstanding Young Farmers Memorial Scholarship winners for 2023.

Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship to support their post-secondary agricultural education.

The award includes two annual scholarships — one to an individual who has completed at least one year of post-secondary study in agriculture, and the other to someone who has completed high school and is enrolling in a post-secondary education in agriculture.

As part of the application process, applicants are asked to write an essay about why they are passionate about agriculture in Canada.

Hannah Stamp’s passion for agriculture comes from growing up on a family farm, and the opportunities it has provided her. She feels agriculture is more than just feeding the world — it is a community that deeply cares for each other and all of humanity. While pursuing her diploma in agriculture at Lethbridge College, Hannah will embrace the technology and share knowledge with others.

Sarah MacDonald plans to use her love of agriculture and politics in her future career. She will complete her Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness at the University of Saskatchewan before pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy. She feels it is crucial to have policy makers and people in government that are passionate and understand agriculture from a working perspective. With a family history of 250 years in farming, her passion has “roots deeper than an old alfalfa stand” and will benefit from her future agriculture policies.

Nominations are open for the 2024 scholarship, with a deadline for nominations of June 30, 2024.

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has announced a three-year extension of its sponsorship of the Ottawa Smart Farm.

The partnership with Area X.O, the research and development complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity and home of the Ottawa Smart Farm, is designed to accelerate agri-tech innovation, adoption, and impact on farmers, Canada’s agricultural sector, and economy.

This three-year extension builds on the last four years of collaboration. The focus will be to:

• Strengthen the capabilities of the re-branded Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert
• Enable more agtech innovators, companies and producers to leverage these resources to accelerate their R&D and business growth and drive the adoption of new solutions
• Inspire, excite and foster the next generation of agtech talent and producers
• Catalyze even greater regional and national innovation collaboration, exchange of knowledge and best management practices among researchers, companies, producers, and other smart farms across Canada

This will help drive the development, commercialization and application of new agricultural technologies that can help increase the productivity, profitability and long-term sustainability of producers and fuel the competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector, says FCC.

Area X.O is one of four smart farms FCC is bringing together and supporting across the country, including locations in Alberta and Manitoba.