Ag News

This week is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week!

This year's theme is Your Farm, Your Family, Your Success: Safety is our Heritage.

Agriculture is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous occupations.

That's because farms and ranches are not just worksites, but places where producers live with their families, young children and seniors.

Stats show that from 2011 to 2020 Canada recorded 624 agriculture-related fatalities 58 per cent of those killed were farm operators while 11 per cent were their children.

The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association is looking for producers to take part in their 2024 Green Gold program.

The goal of this program is to encourage growers to be strategic with their alfalfa hay crop harvest, making decisions based on specific feed, market needs and field observations.

Producers with hay fields that are mostly alfalfa, fairly new and in good condition are being asked to sign up.

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Annual Convention got underway in Regina yesterday.

President Ray Orb addressed the economic challenges people are facing noting that every family in this province is feeling the pinch in their household budgets. 

On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister David Marit announced more than $19 million for irrigation development to help sustain irrigation infrastructure once owned by the province.

Six irrigation districts will share in the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program funding:

Stats Can released its Principal Field Crop estimates for 2024 this week.

Canadian farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for grain, oats, lentils and dry peas in 2024, while the area seeded to canola, soybeans and barley is anticipated to drop compared with 2023 levels.

Nationally, wheat acres are expected to hit 27 million acres up slightly from last year, with 19.2 million acres of spring wheat, 1.5 million acres of winter wheat and 6.3 million acres of durum wheat.

Saskatchewan's acreage is anticipated to hit 14.2 million acres. 

This week, the USDA published the final Product of USA labeling rule for the voluntary labeling of  U.S. meat, poultry, and egg products.

The rule stipulates that to qualify for the label meat must be derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.

The new policy, which is being referred to as voluntary country of original labelling (V-COOL),  is set to come into effect by January 1, 2026.

RM delegates from around the province are in Regina for their Annual Convention and Trade Show.

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities event gets underway today and wraps up on Friday.

Today delegates will hear from Merle Massie a historian, writer, editor and farmer talking about her work and efforts in Preserving Saskatchewan Stories, also addressing the group will be NDP Opposition Leader Carla Beck, and  Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer.

Manitoba Crop  Alliance has released a new study highlighting the economic impact the five crops they represent make to the province. 

The Global Data study looked at wheat (excluding durum), barley, grain corn, sunflower and flax.

The study found that the five crop types had a total economic impact of roughly $6.9 billion over the past three years, including more than 28,000 Manitoba jobs and $2.5 billion in wages.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay, and Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng, released the following joint statement in response to the final rule released by the United States related to the "Product of USA" voluntary labelling regulations for meat, poultry and egg products.

The USDA's voluntary 'Product of USA' labeling rule for U.S. meat, poultry, and egg products is now a reality.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says to qualify for the label meat must be derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.

The move is a key concern to Canada's pork sector.

Manitoba Pork chair Rick Préjet says three million pigs are exported to the United States from Manitoba every year, in addition to the over $400 million worth of Manitoba pork products.