Ag News

Three positions on the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Board of Directors have been filled. 

Shaun Dyrland of Kyle will continue into his third three-year term on the Board.  

Two new members will join the board in January Jim Hale of Lancer and Gerrid Gust of Davidson.

Board Chair Winston van Staveren says they are pleased to have Shaun return for another term and our
excited to welcome our new Directors noting each of the individuals brings valuable experience and knowledge to the board.

Fall is a critical period when it comes to managing winter hardiness or winterkill in alfalfa stands.

Range Management Specialist Trevor Lennox says alfalfa is thought of as queen of the forages.

"It's a very important forage, as a result, it's important to keep the stand as productive as possible."

He points out that when an alfalfa plant is cut, the initial regrowth that follows is produced from root reserves, as new leaves are developed, they begin to manufacture their own energy for growth.

CPKC's Assistant Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bulk Elizabeth Hucker says the rail network has bounced back following last month's work stoppage but it will still take more time for supply chains to fully recover and car cycles to normalize.

She says since that work outage in grain shipping week 3 CPKC has seen a steady increase in demand for rail services to locations like Thunder Bay, Vancouver, Eastern Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Vetavision got underway Friday at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

The event which is open to the public wraps up on Saturday and features over 30 live animals.

Students organize the event to promote the College and the veterinary profession from large animal vets to small animal vets, radiologists, ophthalmologists, pathologists, rehabilitation experts, and more.

The event features 26 student displays plus numerous demonstrations.

Friday's Weekly Potato Report from Manitoba Agriculture noted that the potato harvest in the province is estimated at about 15 to 20 per cent complete, ranging from those who have yet to start to producers that now have over 50 per cent completed.

Potato & Horticulture Crops Pathologist Vikram Bisht says tuber set and size profile are generally good, with a large percentage of tubers in the 5 to 10 oz range. 

Farmers now have 63 per cent of the provincial crop in the bin, up from the five and ten-year averages of 43 and 38 per cent.

Harvest progress varies from 80 per cent complete in the South to 73 per cent in the Central Region, while the other areas are now 50 per cent complete.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association annual district meetings begin next week and will continue through October.

CEO Grant McLellan says the meetings provide an opportunity for producers to come out and share their views on the organization and a variety of other issues ranging from the Saskatchewan Marshall Service to increasing the producer check-off.

Some farmers experienced a delay in harvest activity with the recent rains.

The latest crop report shows precipitation for the past week ranged from 0 mm to 24.2 mm, with most of the rain reported in the Central and Southwest regions. The most precipitation 24.2 mm was reported at Windygates.

Manitoba Agriculture reports the provincial harvest is now 55 per cent complete with the Central Region leading the way at 68 per cent.

Rainfall over the last week caused some farmers a slight delay in harvest activity, but it's a welcome sight for areas that have been fairly dry.

Crop Extension Specialist Tyce Masich says it's not ideal to see rain in the middle of harvest, but the moisture has been a relief for dry areas.

"It has been absolutely incredible this summer. Here we are in mid-September and the grass looks greener than June a lot of years," says Killarney Auction Mart's Allan Munroe. 

"Hay is far easier to source... there is lots of good hay out there with lots of volume.  The cows, it looks like are going to have pasture for quite a while yet," he adds. "The grain prices are certainly to the benefit of the cattle feeder right now."