Ag News

The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have announced $19.5 million for an enhanced Pest Biosecurity Program through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The five-year Pest Biosecurity Program will be delivered by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. Funding is available to rural municipalities and First Nations to provide resources to help deal with invasive agricultural crop pests, prohibited and noxious weeds, nuisance gophers, rats, and nuisance beavers. 

With seeding operations starting to get underway across the prairies.

Farmers are being reminded that the PMRA label changes for lambda-cyhalothrin came into effect on April 29th.

Canola Council of Canada Agronomy Specialist Ian Epp notes in Canada crops treated with the product can no longer be used as livestock feed:

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has returned from a successful trade mission to Asia.

Bibeau took part in the G7 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting and held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Japan and Singapore.

Her visit focused on deepening and diversifying agriculture trade, promoting Canadian agriculture and agri-food products, with discussions around net zero initiatives,  sustainable agriculture, resilient agricultural systems, and food security.

The survey deadline for the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council's (CAHRC) Labour Market Survey has been extended.

The goal of the survey is to identify labour shortage issues in the agriculture sector.

CAHRC’s Executive Director Jennifer Wright says the Canadian agriculture industry has been experiencing a growing labour shortage that is turning into a labour crisis.

Farm Credit Canada’s Sustainability Incentive Program is once again open to applicants in partnership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and McCain Foods.

Through the program, eligible cattle producers and potato growers receive incentive payments through the CRSB certification initiative and the McCain Foods potato growers’ framework for increasing the adoption of sustainable practices in their operations.

Incentive payments are calculated on a portion of a customer’s lending through FCC.

Applications are now open for Rocky Mountain Equipment's Right by You Ag Society Grant. 

Through the program, four agricultural societies in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will each receive $10,000 in funding to go towards eligible projects that enhance the lives of community residents.

RME notes that agricultural societies are an integral part of rural communities and provide opportunities to help strengthen and enhance the lives of those living there.

Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson says a variety of beneficial management practices for crop, manure and livestock, and water management are eligible for cost-shared funding.

The Sustainable Agriculture Manitoba (SAM) program provides funding to increase the environmental and economic sustainability of an agriculture operation with a focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation, air quality, water quality and quantity, soil health, and biodiversity.

The deadline to apply for SAM  is June 13th.

CPKC's assistant vice president of sales and marketing - bulk  Elizabeth Hucker says for the last three weeks they've moved an average of 539 thousand metric tonnes of grain per week.

She notes that's well below their weekly target of 683, 850 metric tonnes outlined in the Grain Service Outlook Report.

Richardson ground squirrels or gophers can be a major problem for farmers and ranchers.

The adults tend to emerge in early spring as the temperature warms up and then are above ground for about four months.

Insect and vertebrate pest management specialist Dr. James Tansey says the males tend to appear two weeks before the females, but it's really the adult females that you need to target and get early prior to the litters.

With the use of Strychnine now prohibited producers are looking for other control methods.

There are only a few more days for local farmers and producers to sign up for Alberta’s Open Farm Days. The event gives them the opportunity to show off their products as well as the work that goes into a plate of food. The event has been happening in Alberta for the last 10 years.