Ag News

Livestock farms often need to use their land carefully in order to get the best results for their animals, which is why the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is sharing some tips on good grazing practices. Trevor Lennox, a Range Management Extension Specialist, talks about one of the biggest potential mistakes a farm operation can make: overgrazing.

With harvest just getting underway across the Prairies, farmers are being reminded to think about safety when working with grain. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is urging farmers to prioritize safety around grain handling with the launch of its fifth annual Be Grain Safe Week.

Heartland Livestock Services announced the closure July 25; the Brandon auction mart has been a historic standby for Manitoba beef producers selling their cattle

Manitoba’s livestock producers have one less place to sell their animals.

Heartland Livestock Services announced July 25 that they are closing their Brandon location.

Farm groups are asking for federal action on regulation and trade amid mounting financial pressures and tariff fears

Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture want governments to consider agriculture more often when setting priorities.

They are ramping up pressure on governments to prioritize agriculture in trade, regulation and disaster response as farmers face worsening drought and mounting financial strain.

Glyphosate, a key product that is used by a number of farmers, could be coming to an end.

Bill Anderson, the CEO of Bayer, noted on Wednesday that the company will be forced to end its US production of glyphosate, unless regulatory or legal changes are made to prevent litigation.

Harvest operations are slowly starting to get underway. Crop condition and staging across the Prairies is variable depending on location and rainfall patterns.

In Manitoba, early reports of swathing in canola have come in from the Interlake and Central regions, along with some winter cereals.

Oilseed Specialist Sonia Wilson put together this week's Manitoba Crop Report.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways is keen to remind rural residents and land owners that all hay bales must be removed from ditches.

After Friday, August 8, any bales in ditches are subject to being disposed of or removed at the discretion of the Ministry of Highways. 

David Horth, director of communications for Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways, shared that bale removal allows for hay salvage and mowing, which helps control harmful weed growth, provides free hay to farmers, improves visibility, and more.

Administrators say federal government needs to build more trust into the Advance Payment Program

Administrators of the Advance Payments Program say Ottawa should stop treating farmers as if they are going to default on repayments.

They said the application process should be streamlined and the program made simpler and more consistent.

Dave Gallant, vice-president of finance and APP operations at the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said the CCGA administers about $2.5 billion in advances each year on behalf of the federal government.

With harvest approaching, farmers will want to start thinking about pre-harvest intervals (PHI) before applying any pesticides and or fungicides to the crop.

The PHI refers to the minimum number of days between a pesticide application and swathing or straight combining of a crop and reflects the time required for pesticides to break down after being applied.

Saskatchewan Open Farm Days runs August 9th and 10th, and is organized by Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan.

Event Coordinator Ashley Stone says agriculture is one of the biggest industries in the province, and the overall goal is to bring people together to get a better idea about life on the farm and where our food comes from. 

She notes this year they have 34 hosts participating from across the province.