Scouting canola fields for flea beetle damage
Canola producers will want to monitor crop emergence closely for any signs of flea beetle damage.
The insect overwinters as an adult and wakes up hungry, with activity increasing as the temperature warms up.
Canola Council of Canada Agronomist Keith Gabert says the insects can cause a lot of damage in a short period of time, which is why scouting the crop on a regular basis is so important.
The key is to stay ahead of the insect by getting a good emergence and stand establishment with five to eight plants per square foot up and growing vigorously.
FCC report shows farmland rental rates are keeping pace with farmland values
Farm Credit Canada has been studying farmland rental rates as compared to farmland values.
Data shows the national rent-to-price ratio in 2023 was 2.52%, reflecting a negligible decline from the previous year.
FCC Senior Economist Justin Shepherd says in 2023 we saw some fairly strong farmland value growth across the prairies, especially in Saskatchewan as well as Manitoba,
while Alberta had a little bit slower growth, but it was still positive.
GGC says a rail strike now could be absolutely devastating for the grain sector
There's a growing concern in the grain industry about the potential for a rail strike.
A major rail strike impacting both railways could be just days away after employees voted 98 percent in favor of a strike mandate.
Close to 10,000 rail workers at CN and CPKC have voted to go on strike unless a deal can be reached.
The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) says this is a key concern, with approximately 94% of Canadian grain being transported by rail and destined for export markets.
GGC says a rail strike now could be absolutely devastating for the grain sector
There's a growing concern in the grain industry about the potential for a rail strike.
A major rail strike impacting both railways could be just days away after employees voted 98 percent in favor of a strike mandate.
Close to 10,000 rail workers at CN and CPKC have voted to go on strike unless a deal can be reached.
The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) says this is a key concern, with approximately 94% of Canadian grain being transported by rail and destined for export markets.
New study on Soil Health in Canada is expected to be tabled in the next few months
This week is National Soil Conservation Week.
Over the last few months, the Senate Committee on Agriculture has been working on developing a new study on Soil Health in Canada.
Senator Robert Black says the committee toured the country to get a first-hand look at the situation, meeting with various scientists, producers, organizations and researchers to get an understanding of what's been happening.
The committee heard from 153 witnesses over the course of approximately 18 months and received 72 briefs from interested parties and individuals.
Manitoba farm groups seem pleased with this week's Provincial budget
Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the budget highlights several key investments for the province's agriculture sector.
One of the announcements getting a lot of attention is the $100,000 increase in the Young Farmer's Rebate Program from $200,000 to $300,000.
He says with the increased costs producers are facing they felt it was an opportune time to provide some additional borrowing capacity for young producers.
Manitoba Pork's General Manager Cam Dahl is pleased with the move saying access to capital is a limiting factor for agriculture.
Manitoba farm groups seem pleased with this week's Provincial budget
Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the budget highlights several key investments for the province's agriculture sector.
One of the announcements getting a lot of attention is the $100,000 increase in the Young Farmer's Rebate Program from $200,000 to $300,000.
He says with the increased costs producers are facing they felt it was an opportune time to provide some additional borrowing capacity for young producers.
Manitoba Pork's General Manager Cam Dahl is pleased with the move saying access to capital is a limiting factor for agriculture.
Kostyshyn says this week's budget included some key funding for Agriculture
This week's Provincial Budget highlighted some key funding announcements for Manitoba's Agriculture sector.
Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says topping the list for him was the increase in funding for the "Young Farmer Rebate".
"We're going to increase the loan amount for producers from $200,000 to $300,000. So the borrowing capacity numbers have increased as well. Agriculture, commodity prices, and input costs continue to rise, so we really felt this was an opportune time that we needed to provide some additional borrowing capacity dollars for the young producers."
Spraying in adverse conditions
Finding the best time to spray to get the most coverage and action can be a challenge for farmers.
One of the biggest challenges for farmers when spraying is the wind.
Dr Tom Wolf, a research scientist and co-owner of Agrimetrix says we're fighting wind all the time and there's really not much we can do.
He says they went back into their data for spray drift to look at what happens to the droplets when the wind takes them away.
Spraying in adverse conditions
Finding the best time to spray to get the most coverage and action can be a challenge for farmers.
One of the biggest challenges for farmers when spraying is the wind.
Dr Tom Wolf, a research scientist and co-owner of Agrimetrix says we're fighting wind all the time and there's really not much we can do.
He says they went back into their data for spray drift to look at what happens to the droplets when the wind takes them away.