Ag News

The federal government's committee on agriculture and agri-food has released a new report recommending 10 different methods which they believe can help with high food prices.

The Committee says they held seven meetings on efforts to stabilize food prices between 4 December 2023 and 27 February 2024, with the report summarizing the evidence provided during these meetings.

They recommended the following:

Native grasslands are a key part of the agricultural system of the prairies, with producers relying on those to keep cattle fed.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Agri-Environmental Specialist Kaitlin Burns talks about what makes a native grassland.

The most recent cattle market reports show that a lot of categories saw drops in prices.

The Manitoba weekly auction mart report showed that last week feeder steer prices fell, ranging from an average of $430.50 per cwt for the 401 to 500-pound weights to $316.50 per cwt for the 801 to 900-pound category.  The biggest drop of $26.83 per cwt came in the 501-600 weight category dropping to an average of $395.50 per cwt, with no category showing an increase in price.

Alberta's fields have been sated over the week as rain has blanketed the province giving some much-needed moisture.

However, that's also led to seeding progress stalling thanks to that rain, with some farmers even reporting light snow and hail over the week.

In total, Alberta farmer's progress is around 25 per cent to 58 per cent complete. 

In terms of seeding progress of major crops, dry peas are pulling ahead with 82 per cent complete, while oats are at the back of the pack with 36 per cent complete.

The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council released a report on a recent survey they held which looked at labour conditions in agriculture.

The survey included 609 employees from a total of 140 different agricultural organizations, looking across different levels of responsibility.

The survey found that across all roles, the weighted average and median hourly rate increased with each level of increased role responsibility.

The CAHRC provided the following info:

Pulse growers have a few things to look forward to this year as trade seems to be opening up in international markets.

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Executive Director Carl Potts talks about India opening up recently.

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) today disclosed the final three recipients of two funding competitions it held in 2023.

A joint statement was signed between Canadian, American, and Mexican cattle organizations to better synchronize the industry across North America.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association met their counterparts as part of a meeting last week, discussing some of the best business practices among them.

CCA President Nathan Phinney says that the meeting resulted in some good conversation.

Canadian Western Agribition is preparing for a new year of events and is connecting with organizations around the globe to help further their reach.

They signed a pair of Memorandum of Understandings with Congreso de las Estrellas and Beef Australia, two international beef organizations, to better connect with international beef producers.

Despite recent rainfalls hampering seeding progress over the last week, Saskatchewan producers are still getting work done to get seeds in the ground.

The latest crop report shows that 56 per cent of crops have been sown, compared to 32 per cent last week.

This is behind the five-year average of 76 per cent and the 10-year average of 74 per cent.