Ag News

Alberta Open Farm Days (August 16-17) is a province-wide celebration of agriculture, food, and community where participating farms and ranches open their gates to the public to help connect visitors to where their food comes from.

The Province is Canada’s biggest producer of honey, beef and processed potatoes; the second-biggest producer of wheat and canola; and a substantial exporter of oats, barley and pork.

This year's Open Farm Days event coincides with 'Local Food Week' which encourages consumers to buy local in support of producers.

Harvest time is just around the corner with some producers already started and there are many things to keep in mind before harvest to ensure your grain can be sold into any market. Before applying pesticides as a pre harvest application, always understand the label and be aware of any restrictions that may affect the marketability of your grain.

The Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Eleanor Olszewski was in Saskatchewan earlier this week for two key announcements, including $4.2 million for the province's ag sector. 

"By building on Saskatchewan’s many strengths and investing in them, we’re helping create good jobs and grow one strong Canadian economy."

This week, Alberta farmers learned more about the $5.2 million in funding planned for the province's two crop diversification centres.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson says the province's farmers directly benefit from the work being done at CDC North near Edmonton, and CDC South near Brooks.

The funding supports upgrades and replacements to greenhouses, labs, and administrative buildings at both sites, as well as research essentials such as seed, fertilizer, and pesticides.  

Alberta Beef Producers have decided to withdraw from the Canadian Cattle Association.

Board Chair Doug Roxburgh says they've been talking with the organization about their concerns for years regarding governance and fiscal transparency.

He notes over the past five years there's been some discussion going on around the move, noting the final decision came following extensive deliberation and strategic review.

Saskatchewan's weekly crop report shows most of the province received plenty of rain last week.

Producers in the southwest are still dealing with the aftermath of the large amounts of rainfall and intense winds that hit in the last three weeks. 

This is a benefit to producers that have early stage crops in the ground, but to those crops that are in the later stages of growth, it’s just too little too late. 

Harvest is just a couple of weeks away and the daily rains are becoming concerning for some grain farmers in the Westman Region. Just when we think we've got a hot, sunny day a passing showers dampens the ground once again.

WADO's Applied Research Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Scott Chalmers, say out their way in Melita they've received about 5 inches of rain over the past 10 days.  He says in most areas rain gauges are seeing 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain.  Around the Deloraine-Waskada area a bit more. 

There's a growing push for Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal government to step up and help support Western Canadian producers that are being impacted by the increased tariffs on canola.

A U.S based company is hoping to see more flax grown in the prairies.

Grain Millers, a Minnesota based company, is expanding its operations in Western Canada. 

The company operates an oat processing facility at Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and has been leasing a small flax processing facility in Saskatoon.

President and CEO Todd Stohlmeyer says with the lease wrapping up and the interest they've seen in flax they decided to build their own facility at Delisle, Saskatchewan
about 43 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.