Ag News

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is currently hosting its annual 2024 district meetings across Manitoba. They began in Arborg on Tuesday, November 12, and will wrap up in Swan River on Thursday, December 19.  

Jill Verwey, President of KAP says organizing and hosting the meetings is a requirement and part of their grassroots policy. 

Prairie farmers should be on the lookout as a disease known to cause issues in a variety of crops is a key concern.

That's why experts are asking producers to keep a close eye out for the signs that the disease might be in their fields.

Crops Extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Eileen Beaton talks about the disease.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) held its annual lobby day in Ottawa on Oct. 22., 2024.

CFA President Keith Currie was pleased with the result.

"We obtained just over 40 meetings with elected Senate office staff, ministerial staff. It was, we felt, a very successful lobby day and then we copped it off at the end of the day with a reception. We had nearly 250 people attending, elected, and people from the Senate and industry stakeholders. All in all a very good day."

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay also provided remarks.

Joe Kleinsasser has dedicated his entire life to agriculture, and now he’s rewarded for it. Kleinsasser was awarded the Farm & Food Care 2024 Champion award earlier this week at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in Saskatoon, SK.  

The Chief Executive Officer for Cereals Canada says a significant funding announcement will enable them to continue supporting markets around the world.

Dean Dias says they have received $7.3 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. He notes this substantial investment includes $6.6 million over three years from the AgriMarketing Program and $674,000 over five years from the AgriScience Program. 

With the ground about to freeze across the prairies, many farmers are getting soil sampling done before the end of the year.

Testing out just what's in many farmer's grounds is a key part of making sure you know what's under the surface and what might need to go in.

Warren Ward, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, talks about the necessity of that testing.

Harvest is pretty much complete in the prairie provinces and we are entering the time of year when plans are starting for 2025. Over the next several months, many big events will be held from conferences to trade shows and more. Some of these events focus on woman and all they bring to the industry.

The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) attended the 33rd Annual Tri-National Agricultural Accord meetings from October 21-23 in Arlington, VA, to reinforce its strong support for the North American agri-food trading system.

“The strength of CAFTA’s delegation underscores our firm commitment to the North American agri-food trading framework, particularly as we approach the 2026 CUSMA Review,” said CAFTA president Greg Northey. “With the U.S. Presidential election on the horizon, it is critical to hear directly from our U.S. and Mexican partners.”

Blackleg is a disease in canola mainly caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. It’s a serious disease that affect canola plants in the seedling stage by attaching to the stems and working up the stem as it grows, inhibiting the movement of water and nutrients within the plant. It can cause upwards of 50% yield reduction in severe cases. Blackleg was first spotted in western Canada in 1975 in north-east Saskatchewan. 

There is a new partnership delivering the Soy Quality Program to Canadian producers.  

Nathan Gerelus is the manager of National Affairs at the Canadian Grain Commission, based in Winnipeg, and he says, 

“We are excited to have recently partnered with Soy Canada to deliver the Soy Quality Program, and that will start with this year's 2024 harvest.”