Ag News

Targeted grazing is using a specific species of livestock to control the spread of unwanted vegetation (i.e., a target plant species) such as noxious weeds or shrub encroachment. The goal is to reduce the competitive advantage of the target plant species relative to the desirable vegetation within the community. Targeted grazing offers an opportunity to implement a non-herbicide practice on their operations when herbicide application is not environmentally feasible, when the infestation is too large and costly to treat, and/or when the area is inaccessible.

 Showcasing the potential of Canada’s full plant-based value chain, companies from across the sector have partnered to develop new artificial intelligence technology that is expected to improve the quality of Canada’s protein crops and ingredients. With the support of Protein Industries Canada, project partners Enns Bros., Crop Sentry, DL Seeds and AGT Foods will develop the technology to meet the needs of farmers and ingredient processors alike.

In the last few months a number of producers, farm groups and organizations have raised concern about Bunge's planned acquisition of Viterra.

The two major grain companies officially made the announcement earlier this year and notified Canada's Minister of Transport about the decision on August 15th.

Educate, encourage, empower.

That is how the Manitoba Farm Women's Conference is designed to impact the lives of women in agriculture.

"It's one of those events that, if you are working in agriculture, is for you," says Cheryl Janzen, who has been involved with the organization for a number of years, including the last two as a board member. "If you are supporting farmers in your business, this is for you. If you are a farm mom and want to just connect and meet people, this is for you. We have multiple generations in the same room. It's an awesome day!"

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities recently held their regular advocacy trip to Ottawa where they met various politicians, ministry officials, and other organizations.

SARM board members were in Ottawa from October 23rd to 26th and held 21 meetings focusing on a number of key issues including discussions around Bill C-234 an act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

As hay and other forages make their way into your feed storage area this fall, you might want to consider forage testing. Forage testing has value for your operation, it can be a useful tool for maximizing livestock production and can minimize feed costs. Testing forages not only helps determine if livestock requirements are being met, it also determines whether you need to supplement or could mix off with lower quality forages to avoid overfeeding.

The Alberta government filled in some details on Monday regarding relief for farmers and ranchers.

RJ Sigurdson, MLA for Highwood and the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation announced some relief to help ranchers and farmers to help maintain their herds.

"And I'm relieved that the federal government is partnering with Alberta on $165 million-dollar Agri-recovery response. This will provide funding to help livestock producers affected by drought and extreme growing conditions this year."

It's official B-H-P has approved $6.4 billion dollars in funding for the second phase of its new potash mine development at Jansen, Saskatchewan.

In a press release on Tuesday, BHP Chief Executive Officer, Mike Henry says this is an important milestone that underscores our confidence in potash and marks the next phase of the company’s growth in Canada. 

"We believe Jansen will deliver long-term value for shareholders and the local community and will position BHP as one of the leaders in the global potash industry."

The Alberta Canola Producers Commission is seeking four canola producers to serve as directors on the board of directors for a three-year term.

Alberta Canola has 12 defined regions, with each region electing an eligible producer to represent the canola growers within that region.

Any producer who grew canola in regions 2, 5, 8, or 11 and paid a service charge to Alberta Canola since August 1, 2021, is an eligible producer and can let their name stand to be a director in the 2023 nominations.

The nomination period is open until 4:00pm on October 31, 2023

Farm Credit Canada released it's final Cattle and Hog update for 2023 which looks at the top economic trends and issues.

Senior Economist Leigh Anderson says for 2023 prices in the cattle sector have been and continue to be very strong due to a number of key factors.

"So the North American beef herd continues to shrink due to drought conditions the last several years. And just the time to rebuild a cattle herd takes quite a bit of time. Demand remains strong and this has pushed prices higher. "