Ag News

As the weather is getting warmer and the snow is melting off the ground, it's becoming that time of year again where farmers are gearing up for one of their busiest times of the year: seeding. 

Farm hand for Magnum Opus inc. Ty Nielson says they are looking at the weather forecast a lot as some fields are going to still be muddy and wet. 

“That could slow us down in areas and we might not get into all the nooks and crannies that we normally do.” 

As the spring seeding season is coming up, producers have a lot of options to consider when it comes to forages.

Agri-Environmental Specialist with the Ministry of Environment Chelsea Siemens says that starts simply with deciding your needs.

With COVID and the war in Ukraine, international wheat markets have been thrown for a loop over the past few years.

This upcoming grain market year could bring something different: an entire year that's decided by the weather, at least in the North American market.

Ranulf Glanville, the Chief Market Analyst at DePutter explains why.

A recent report by RBC says that in 2033, 40% of Canadian farm operators will retire, placing agriculture on the cusp of one of the biggest labour and leadership transitions in the country’s history.

Over the same period, a shortfall of 24,000 general farm, nursery, and greenhouse workers are expected to emerge.

They also found that 66% of producers do not have a succession plan in place.

The report includes a three-point plan for growth, with goals set for the short, medium, and long term.

A survey is looking to provide better data on just what producers do with their forage lands.

The overall study, being done by the University of Saskatchewan, is looking at some of the practices that those producers use.

Said results would be used to then better inform both lawmakers and the public on how producers are growing food in the province.

Judson Christopherson, a graduate student with the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, details just what they're looking for.

The Louis Dreyfus Company is announcing today that it will expand its canola crushing facility at Yorkton. 

We're not there yet, but it won't be long until we see work in the fields is progressing.

The Director of Ag Services for Vulcan County, Kelly Malmberg says it's also the time of year where pests start to re-appear.

"The three biggest pests that I'm concerned within the area are gophers, grasshoppers and flea beetles in canola, spring emergence on canola was really rough last year so hopefully we get a break on all three," he says.

With many areas looking at above-20-degree temperatures, farmers will see any remaining snowpack leave soon.

That's the consensus among weather forecasting services, which are forecasting a strong westerly flow across the prairies.

Alberta has been the odd province out as it's had less snow to keep things cold compared to Saskatchewan or Manitoba, but that's set to equal out soon.

The combined melting will be good for farmers, so long as more moisture isn't coming down, says Weatherlogics CEO Scott Kehler.

Canadian agriculture producers are becoming more comfortable with the adoption of digital data tools and farm management software, bolstering their trust in the technology according to a RealAgristudies survey.

The survey shows how farmers are adopting digital tools and managing data, as 66 per cent of respondents said they feel the companies that handle their data are doing a good or excellent job. That’s a 31 per cent increase from the survey conducted by AgExpert in 2018 that asked the same question.

All the snow we've had this past winter has made a positive difference for farmers in Vulcan County.

The Director of Ag Services for the county, Kelly Malmberg says they've had enough snow that it's filled up sloughs and dugouts that were completely dried out in a lot of areas.