Ag News

The Canadian Grain Commission has made some key changes to the grain grading dispute process effective October 1st.

Farmers that disagree with a licensed primary elevator’s assessment of grain, have the right to ask the CGC for a "Final Quality Determination" (previously known as  "Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage").

That request can relate to the official grade or any individual grading factor, including moisture, protein, and/or dockage.

CN's Winter Plan sets out a wide range of initiatives to ensure CN has the capacity and resources to meet customer needs.

CEO Tracy Robinson has been focusing the CN team on servicing customer needs by getting back to basics.

The 2022-23 Winter Plan released last week is built on four cornerstones: operating safely, delivering the best possible service, increasing network productivity and improving resiliency.

Some of new initiatives outlined in the Winter Plan to help improve delivery include:

There's a growing concern over the need for more veterinarians in rural areas, especially for large animals.

The challenge is not only trying to get people involved in the industry, but also in trying to get them to set up their practice in rural areas and focus on livestock production.

Manitoba has announced plans to address their shortage of rural vets.

The government has reached an agreement with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan to include another five students from Manitoba for 2023-24.

Thanksgiving weekend is always a busy time with family and friends.

A time to gather, share memories and give thanks.

Darren Ference, Chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada says it's also the time of year when a lot of people will be sitting down to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner.

The Prairie Oat Growers Association will benefit from $106 thousand in federal funding for new research trials to better understand the role oats play in disease prevention.

Oats are generally considered to be a healthy food because of their soluble fibre content.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says findings from the project will help create new market opportunities for Canadian oat producers.

With harvest activities starting to wrap up in some areas, farmers are looking at their fall weed control. 

Weed Control Specialist Clark Brenzil says weeds need to be actively growing in order to get the best result. 
 
Fall weed control or suppression is helpful to prevent the plants from flowering and setting seed prior to the crop coming up in the spring.

For perennial weeds you're looking at trying to control things like Canada thistle, dandelion, quackgrass and potentially foxtail barley in the fall.

Harvest is nearing completion in southeast Saskatchewan, with 86 percent of the crop in the bin. According to the latest crop report from the Ministry of Agriculture, this is just behind the five-year average of 90 percent.  

Farmers are busy harvesting, starting fall field work, hauling bales, cleaning corrals, and moving cattle to stubble fields.   

Voting got underway this week on whether the  Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and Alberta Barley Commission should formally amalgamate into a single crop commission.

In collaboration with Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (Marketing Council) and the third-party election advisor, MNP, there are two plebiscites being held: one for barley growers, and one for wheat growers.

Provincially, 90 per cent of the crop is in the bin.

That's up from 81 per cent last week, and well ahead of the five-year average of 82 per cent. 

Crops Extension Specialist Matt Struthers says another week to ten days of good weather and everything should be complete. 

Harvest is virtually complete in the southwest and west-central regions other than a few flax fields, which will likely occur after the next killing frost. 

Even more farmers are recycling their used plastic containers this year, as Cleanfarm is continuing its recycling program.

Cleanfarm is a stewardship organization that operates across Canada. In the prairies, they work with around 800 collection sites to help out with operations.

The results from their latest news release show that more and more recyclables are being sent into the program.

Director of Stakeholder Relations and Policy Kim Timmer says that this year was their highest ever.