Ag News

Farm Credit Canada's mid-year report shows cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 5.5 per cent nationally for the first half of 2024.

Over the 12 months from July 2023 to June 2024, there was a 9.6 per cent increase, representing a slowdown compared to the previous 12-month period (January to December 2023).

FCC's Vice President and Chief Economist J.P. Gervais says for the second consecutive year, Saskatchewan recorded the highest average six-month increases at 7.4 per cent, Alberta was at 4.6 per cent, and Manitoba 3.9 per cent.

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has identified four key areas of focus for the next provincial government to address.

SARM's 2024 Provincial Election Priorities include Infrastructure, Health, Policing and Crime, and Agriculture.

Farmers are working hard pushing against the weather to get this year's crop in the bin.

As a result, they can also be dealing with an overwhelming amount of stress ranging from weather to markets, finances, equipment breakdowns and more, all at the same time.

Learning ways to recognize, release stress and reach out for help is key to avoid feeling overburdened especially when trying to stay focused when working with large farm equipment or unpredictable livestock.

While there are many ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, many people will have enjoyed sitting down to a nice juicy turkey.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two biggest seasons for turkey consumption,  but over the last few years, the industry has launched a campaign to broaden that reach.

Chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada  Darren Ference says more and more people are now eating whole turkeys or turkey parts throughout the year.

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) has named 16 farmer members to serve in the 17 available delegate positions on the four crop committees.

Ag Growth International has teamed up with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) to raise funds for a cure for breast cancer.

Since its peak in 1986, the breast cancer death rate has been nearly cut in half. Today, the 5-year survival rate continues to improve. But there is still work to do! 

Ag Growth International’s (AGI) Canadian farm team has released a pink limited-edition UCX³ U-trough belt conveyor to raise funds to support breast cancer awareness.

Over the last few years, a real emphasis has been put on the importance of making your mental health a priority and removing the stigma around reaching out for help.

Farming is known to be one of the most dangerous occupations, it involves a lot of stress and factors unique to agriculture like the weather and markets both of which can have a major impact and are totally out of farmers' control.

Learning ways to recognize and release stress is key especially when trying to stay focused when working with large farm equipment or unpredictable livestock.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released a report on the latest recommendations and feedback relating to modernizing the seed regulations in Canada.

The process began in 2021 and covers several areas from import to export, seed conditioning, storage, testing and labeling to seed sales.

The National Manager for the Seed Section of the CFIA, Wendy Jahn says a number of the regulations, policies and programs interact with each other and rather than making changes one at a time it makes more sense to take a holistic approach to modernizing the system.

The Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project held its annual harvest celebration over the weekend at a field southeast of Lacombe.

There were about 150 people on site, including 25 volunteers, who came out to watch ten combines harvest 120 acres of canola in about two hours.

The money raised from the sale of the crop is sent to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB), which uses the funds to help fight world hunger.

The Federal government has announced over $6.8 million over five years for the Organic Science Cluster is geared to research and advancing sustainable practices. 

Allison Squires is president of the Canadian Organic Growers says the organic sector is unique in that it encompasses everything from aquaculture to cranberries to horticulture and field crops.

She says this pot of money will go towards projects in all these different areas, out of the 14 projects two are based in the prairies.