Ag News

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released a report on the latest recommendations and feedback relating to modernizing the seed regulations in Canada.

The process began in 2021 and covers several areas from import to export, seed conditioning, storage, testing and labeling to seed sales.

The National Manager for the Seed Section of the CFIA, Wendy Jahn says a number of the regulations, policies and programs interact with each other and rather than making changes one at a time it makes more sense to take a holistic approach to modernizing the system.

The Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project held its annual harvest celebration over the weekend at a field southeast of Lacombe.

There were about 150 people on site, including 25 volunteers, who came out to watch ten combines harvest 120 acres of canola in about two hours.

The money raised from the sale of the crop is sent to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB), which uses the funds to help fight world hunger.

The Federal government has announced over $6.8 million over five years for the Organic Science Cluster is geared to research and advancing sustainable practices. 

Allison Squires is president of the Canadian Organic Growers says the organic sector is unique in that it encompasses everything from aquaculture to cranberries to horticulture and field crops.

She says this pot of money will go towards projects in all these different areas, out of the 14 projects two are based in the prairies.

Cleanfarms will be collecting unwanted agricultural pesticides and old, obsolete livestock and equine medications this week at 20 locations across northern and central Saskatchewan.

It's an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to safely dispose of unwanted or obsolete products.

A reminder for farmers that treated seed, fertilizer, needles, medicated feed and household hazardous waste will not be accepted.

Thousands of kids across Canada benefit from 4-H programming each year.

Ben Graham, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation says 4-H has an enormous impact on our youth.

"It's about team building, learning parliamentary procedure, how you run a meeting, and how to public speak. It's about how to manage projects, whether it's computers or dogs - canine, whether it's beef cattle. It's a real diverse opportunity for kids to learn skills that help them become better leaders and contributors to their community."

Beyond Ready is this year's theme for National 4-H Week.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.

Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:

He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.

Farmers are making some good progress with the harvest. 

The latest crop reports show in Manitoba, 73 per cent of the provincial crop is now in. 

This week's crop report shows there's still some spring wheat, barley and oats to come in.

The canola harvest is now at 78 percent complete, dry beans are at 60 per cent, soybeans at 29 percent,  17 per cent of the flax is now in with the corn harvest just getting underway in Eastern Manitoba.

In Saskatchewan, 91 per cent of the crop is now in with harvest most advanced in the southwest at 99  per cent complete.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association will begin their next round of fall district meetings this week.

The next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in Melfort from 1 til 5 at the Kerry Vicker Centre.

CEO Grant McLellan says it's a great opportunity for producers to find out what's going on in the industry, and give their input on the focus of the organization. 

With harvest nearly completed here in southeast Saskatchewan, farmers are beginning to look towards either fall spraying for weeds or pre-banding fertilizer for next years crop. One thing that should also be top of mind is disease pressure, including clubroot in canola fields. 

With this year’s harvest heading into the home stretch, the northeast area which includes Humboldt has the most amount of crop remaining in the field.  

Harvest progress now sits at 81 per cent, which is the same as the five-year average and greater than the 74 per cent 10-year average.