Ag News

Producers are being encouraged to give their input into the discussions around sustainability and agriculture.

Farmers for Climate Solutions have put a call out for farmers and ranchers to go to their website to apply to be part of a select group of producers that will be invited to give their input on the changes we see happening, the impact on the agriculture sector and areas that need to be considered.

A group of randomly selected participants will be part of the Farmer and Rancher Forums across the Prairies in early 2024.

The report is an early indicator of areas that may be more vulnerable to the potential for above or below-normal runoff during the spring period. 

Water Security Agency Spokesperson Patrick Boyle says it's not a surprise that the hot, dry conditions throughout the summer and fall led to most areas of the province heading into the winter with below to well-below normal soil moisture.

Farm Credit Canada is partnering up with Ducks Unlimited Canada on a new Sustainability Incentive Program for customers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. 

Kristine Tapley, the national lead for sustainable agriculture with DUC says under the new program producers that have land enrolled in the Marginal Areas Program could be eligible for a maximum payment of $2000 or $50 an acre depending on their lending with FCC.

El Nino is a weather phenomenon that is said to play the second-largest role in shaping the weather of the planet, second to only the earth’s orbit around the sun and the changing of the seasons. Here in Saskatchewan, El Nino years are marked by milder temperatures, and a lack of substantial snowfalls, for the most part.  

Terri Lang is a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. She explained what the general forecast is during an El Nino event. 

Manitoba Auction Marts moved 9,530 head of cattle for the week ending November 24th. 

Year to date, that's 296,080 head of cattle sold, that's up 3.9 per cent from 2022 when 284, 923 head sold.

Feeder heifer prices last week jumped significantly for the heavier weight animals with the 901 plus heifers up $ 12.71 per cwt to $ 239.38 per cwt.

The 801 to 900 pound heifers were up $13.10 per cwt for an average price of $256.25 per cwt.

A map has just been released after extensive surveying in Saskatchewan revealing the places most ravaged by grasshoppers over the spring and summer. 

A map has just been released after extensive surveying in Saskatchewan revealing the places most ravaged by grasshoppers over the spring and summer. 

As winter approaches it's a good idea to take some time to review your farm or ranch operations.

Taking time to look at what worked for you over the last year and what didn't is always key.

It's also a good time to look at your future plans personally and for the business making sure your wills, estate plan, and/or succession plans are up to date.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Agriculture is holding a couple of one-day Back to Business 2023 seminars next week, one in Moose Jaw on December 7th and one in Saskatoon on December 8th.

The provincial government released the mid-year financial numbers Monday morning, and they show what was a surplus budget in the spring, is now expected to be a deficit thanks in part to a nearly 60 percent increase in agricultural expenses. A drop in non-renewable resource revenue was also said to contribute to the increase in expenses for the province.  

You may not realize it, but Canada is a major supplier of oats with some of our key export markets located in the U.S. Mexico, and Japan.

According to the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) website Saskatchewan typically produces more than 50 per cent of Canadian oats each year, making Saskatchewan the largest oat-producing region in the world. 

For growers, the 2023 growing season went better than expected.

POGA president Brad Boettger, says there were definitely some areas that struggled due to the drought and weather conditions.