Ag News

Agriculture Minister David Marit's trade and investment mission to Mexico last week was a success.

Marit along with members of Saskatchewan's Trade and Export Partnership travelled down for the Food Tech Summit and Expo in Mexico.

STEP and other members of the delegation hosted a booth at the event which attracts over 20,000 buyers, investors, and experts in the agri-food sector. 

The booth showcased Saskatchewan as the destination of choice for agri-foods innovation and investment.

The NDP will form the next Provincial Government winning a clear majority under incoming Premier Wab Kinew in Tuesday's election.

During the last session and throughout the election campaign Diljeet Brar was the NDP's voice on Agriculture.

There's every expectation he'll move into the role of agriculture Minister,  but the decision around Ministerial roles rests with the new Premier as he forms his cabinet.

Day 11 of our Grain Rush winners is here, and we are celebrating Mullen Farms. The farm has 750 head of cattle, and they farm wheat, barley, canola and peas.

Donna Mullen says that it was a long harvest and not that great of crops this year. Mullen also explained that she is happy that it is finally over. "We didn't do anything new this year, just trying to survive mother nature. Didn't get the rain, this was just a year of survival kind of thing."

The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre in Saskatoon will receive $5 million dollars to continue growing the province's value-added and agri-food sector. 

The Federal/Provincial investment will be delivered over the next five years through the Sustainable CAP program.

In making the announcement on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister David Marit noted that Saskatchewan has one of the fastest growing value-added sectors in the country thanks to a combination of our agricultural base, investment potential and research, and innovation assets like the Food Centre.

It is Day 10 of our Grain Rush winners and today we are celebrating Magnum Opus Incorporated, a grain and cattle farm just outside of Strathmore. They are still working through harvest with 200 acers left of irrigated crop to finish off. 

Jared Dougan explains that it has been a good harvest for the most part and it has been much longer than they expected. "We have just been chugging along, on the worst crop first and making our way west down in the Gleichen area and made our way up north to Strathmore here in the last week and a half, two weeks ago." 

A major donation last week will see the development of a mobile unit for rural health and wellness. 

The Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health located at the University of Saskatchewan has received an anonymous donation of $1.5 million.

Director Shelley Kirychuk says the gift is an incredible boost for the centre.

Alberta's weekly crop report from September 29th shows 79 per cent of the provincial crop has been harvested, that's an increase of 14 per cent from the previous week.

According to the latest report, the harvest is mostly complete in the Southern part of the province,  and in some areas of the Central region. 

Harvest progress shows peas are virtually complete while spring wheat is at 89 per cent, barley at 91 per cent, oats at 73 per cent, while canola is at  62 per cent .

There's still time to register for the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association's 2023 Regenerative Agriculture Conference.

The event runs November 13th to 15th in Brandon and features international and national speakers, local producer panels, and a tradeshow. 

This year's theme is "Building Your Legacy" and includes a variety of topics.

Lallemand Plant Care's "Hometown Roots Family Contest " provides a way for growers and their families to give back to the communities that they are part of.

During the contest growers in  Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta had the opportunity to enter by either purchasing Lallemand Plant Care inoculants or by writing an essay explaining what farming means to them and how they would leverage the funds to support their community.

Fall dormant seeding perennial forages can be a successful alternative to spring or summer seeding. Spring is generally the recommended time to seed perennial forages as moisture is often most abundant at that time. However, fall seeding can be done to lessen the seeding workload in the spring and wet areas that typically flood in the spring can be accessed to seed in the fall.