Ag News

Southern Alberta has so far been spared the forest fires ravaging Central and Northern parts of the province.

However, drought is a big concern according to Foothills County Reeve Delilah Miller.

"We're going through some pretty hard drought conditions right now and if it gets any worse we're going to have to go after the Province to look at some drought mitigation for our farmers and ranchers here but we're hoping for rain and if we get it in the next short while it could certainly help the situation with our producers," she says.

U.S.-based Bunge has signed a deal to merge with Viterra in a stock and cash transaction.

The deal will create a global agribusiness company estimated to be worth over U.S $30 billion including debt.

The press release notes that under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Bunge and Viterra, Viterra shareholders would receive approximately 65.6 million shares of Bunge stock, with an aggregate value of approximately U.S .$6.2 billion, and approximately U.S. $2 billion in cash.

Earlier this month, the U.S. filed a dispute settlement consultation request under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) based on Mexico's decision to ban the use of biotechnology corn in tortillas and dough.

Mexico's president says they also plan to gradually substitute the use of biotechnology corn in all products, and reject applications for the importation and sale of certain biotechnology products.

On Friday, Canada announced that it would be a third party in the claim.

The province's funding allocation for the Short Line Railway Improvement Program for  2023-24 was announced late last week.

Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill says $530,000 in grant funding will be divided between the province's 13 short lines.

"The short-line rail industry plays a pivotal role in bolstering our economy by efficiently transporting agricultural goods and a multitude of other products across our growing province."

It is good practice to test your livestock water sources multiple times a year and especially throughout the summer to monitor quality. Water samples can be submitted to a Ministry of Agriculture regional office or many Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) offices for quality screening at any time during the year.

The 2023 Energy City Ex's rodeo held a lot of highlights over its three days of action, and several of those came from competitors from southeastern Saskatchewan.

Four contestants that were listed as local members were top finishers in the unofficial results from the Kakeyow Cowboys Rodeo Association.

Kathleen Schiml, of Estevan, placed third in ladies barrel racing on Sunday with a time of 16.40.

Griffin's Sarah Picton finished eighth Sunday in the ladies barrel racing, with a time of 16.62.

Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) officially commissioned the province's first ever potash mine.

The 250 thousand tonnes mine is located at Harrowby (16 kilometres west of Russell).

Premier Heather Stefanson and Economic Development and Investment and Trade Minister Jeff Wharton were among those on hand for Friday's event and tour.

  
RJ Sigurdson, the MLA for the Highwood constituency was sworn in as the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation on Friday.

His biography on the government website notes that Sigurdson grew up working on 40-acre family farm north of Cochrane, and worked on nearby farms during high school.

Prior to first being elected to the Legislature in 2019 he worked with Avalanche Air Systems as a senior project/general manager and shareholder. 

He also has extensive experience as a red seal sheet metal worker.

CPKC's assistant vice president of sales and marketing for Canadian grain has been on the road meeting with customers and talking about the new destinations CPKC serves.

Elizabeth Hucker says they now offer a single-line haul for mills and feeders in the southern U.S., gulf ports, and into Mexico.

Farmers are busy spraying and scouting fields for insect and weed concerns.

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network newsletter helps to keep farmers up to date on potential insect concerns

Dr. Megan Vankosky is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and co-editor of the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's newsletter.