Ag News

This week during the COP 28 meetings Canada's Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced the publication of its fourth draft protocol on reducing enteric methane emissions (REME) from beef cattle operations.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a press release outlining the basics of the REME Protocol encouraging producers to make changes that would reduce the methane released when cattle burp.

The protocol suggests producers could look at improving animal diets, management, and other strategies that support more efficient animal growth. 

Another change to Bill C-234  passed through the Senate this week. 

A previous amendment removed barns and greenhouses from the exemption.

The second amendment was introduced by Senator Yen Pau Woo late last week.

The amendment would shorten the sunset clause on the carbon price exemption in Bill C 234 from eight years to three years saying it would align with the deadline for the Liberal's carbon price exemption on heating oil.

Voting on that amendment took place earlier this week with Senators voting 44 - 40 in favor of the change.

Statistics Canada has released its Potato Production Report for 2023.

Manitoba producers seeded 81,000 acres of potatoes and harvested 80,000 acres for an average yield of 372 hundredweight per harvested acre.

In Saskatchewan, producers seeded 7300 acres with 7200 acres harvested for an average yield of 247 hundredweight per harvested acre.
 
Alberta growers seeded 80,100 acres and harvested 76,440 with an average yield of 419 hundredweight per harvested acre.

Canary Seed growers will have an opportunity to get an update on what's happening in the industry on Thursday.

The Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan is holding its annual general meeting in Regina.

Saskatchewan is the world’s leading producer and exporter of canary seed,  typically growing around 300,000 acres.

The Canary Seed AGM covers a lot of ground from breeding opportunities to fungicides, and marketing.

The world's climate summit - COP28 - was the backdrop for the announcement of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Province of Saskatchewan and Bayer Crop Science.

The goal of the MOU is to develop new technologies to lower greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture through the use of digital farming, smart farming, and precision farming.

Premier Scott Moe says together, they can help create new solutions for global food security and sustainability.

Saskatchewan has a long history of pioneering sustainable agricultural practices. 

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Francois-Philippe Champagne the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry met with their provincial and territorial counterparts on Monday.

The focus of the meeting was to talk about stabilizing food prices across the country.

The pair stressed the need for greater cooperation between Ottawa and the provinces to fight food inflation. 

India is temporarily lifting its import tariffs and restrictions on peas.

President of Pulse Canada Greg Cherewyk says they received word Thursday night that India was temporarily opening the market for peas.

'Working on the Farm with Hands-on Science' is the theme for next week's new Beef and Forage Production Conference.

Manitoba Agriculture's Beef and Forage Specialist Pam Iwanchysko says the extension team is coordinating the conference wanted to make sure that producers are aware of the research that's going on throughout Western Canada and how it relates to all beef and forge operations. 

Everything kicks off on Tuesday with a keynote presentation from Dr Susan Markus at Lakeland College talking about Smart Beef Cows on Smart Farms.

Canada’s Food Price Report 2024 is forecasting another increase but it's not expected to be as bad as in other years.

According to the report the average family of four is expected to spend $16,297.20 on food in 2024, an increase of up to $701.79 from last year. 

The report is a collaboration between researchers at Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of British Columbia. 

Dr Sylvain Charlebois is the project lead, a professor, and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. 

The Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture,  AgriFood and Food Security says disappointing is an understatement when it comes to this week's vote on Bill C - 234 in the Senate.

John Barlow says the Liberal loyalists in the Senate are trying to gut and kill this bill.