Ag News

Farm groups across the prairies are always looking for producers to take an active role in helping to determine the organization goals.

The nomination period is now open for director positions with the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission (Sask Mustard) and Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat).

The federal government is investing $15 million into Protein Industries Canada; the funding is being used to strengthen Canada's agri-food sector.

The new funding will focus on genomics and AI programs by bringing new tools to plant breeders, farmers, ingredient processors, and food manufacturers.

The programs will enable farmers and companies across Canada’s agrifood sector to build a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable food system. 

Alberta is working on strengthening its market presence in Southeast Asia.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson is in Southeast Asia to promote Alberta as a reliable supplier of agricultural products.

The overall goal is to strengthen relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines to increase trade and investment opportunities that 
will directly benefit producers and processors by opening new markets for Alberta agriculture and food products.

Farm Credit Canada is investing $2 billion to advance agtech innovation in Canada’s agriculture and food industry. 

The money which will be invested by 2030 will direct more investment into innovative devices, instrumentation, research, and methodologies designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

Stats show Canada’s agtech sector is lagging, putting Canada at a strategic disadvantage, while Japan  and the European Union have been increasing investments in ag tech.

Alberta's latest crop report shows 90 per cent of the provincial crop is now in; that's ahead of the 5-year average of 81 per cent. 

Roy Larsen, the director of Statistics and Data Development for Agriculture and Irrigation says seeding progress in the South is at 97 per cent complete, the North West at 93 per cent, the Central region is at 89 per cent, the North East at 86  per cent, and the Peace at 84 per cent.

Crop progress shows 99 per cent of the dry peas have been planted, while oats lag behind at 74 per cent. 

Yesterday afternoon a celebration of life was held in memory of founder and owner of Shur-Gro, Ron Helwer, at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. 

visionary agricultural entrepreneur and longtime community leader in Brandon, passed away on Friday at age 92, May 23, 2025

Prairie farmers may have to contend with rust this year, a disease that can significantly impact crop yields.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, explains that rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June.

Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert 

Rain has become a rarity in Nipawin, Sask.

In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.

It’s a similar story across the northern agricultural region of Saskatchewan. There’s been almost no rain this spring in Hudson Bay, Carrot River and Prince Albert.

The department says producer engagement, field demonstrations and making data available online are expected of its researchers

Agriculture Canada employs about 380 scientists at its 20 research centres across the country.

Their job?

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This week has seen significant fluctuations in the commodity markets, particularly in wheat and canola prices. Following the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, wheat prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, falling by $10 to $15 per tonne.