When the Grain Farmers of Ontario rushed to create a new coalition of farm groups, known as Farm Action Now, there was a sense that legislation was in the works in which the government would steer away from evidence-based regulatory decisions, and instead pander to an environmental lobby that had a lot of scare factor... Read More
Category: Crops
The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is aggressively increasing the amount of money it's investing in field crop research. The board for the producer organization recently passed a budget of over $18 million for 2015 — up from a projected $14.8 million in 2014 and $7.3 million spent in 2013. "WGRF member organizations have encouraged... Read More
Last week, the Ontario government announced its plan of an "aspirational" goal of an 80% reduction in acres planted to corn and soybean seed treated with neonicotinoid seed treatments by 2017. What farmers need to know now is how they are expected to meet said goal, and what the stated increase in rules and regulations... Read More
Grain prices closed the month of November generally higher as colder weather and transportation issues in the U.S. helped prices maintain an elevated level. While most Americans were putting the turkey in the oven, OPEC, the cartel of major oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, declined to ease their production from the current 30 million barrels-per-day.... Read More
Lower commodity prices will likely lead farmers to adopt technology and practices that maximize fertilizer efficacy, says the head of a North Dakota-based precision ag machinery manufacturer. Speaking at the AgriInnovation Forum in Winnipeg last week, Howard Dahl, president and CEO of Amity Technology, said he sees a period of tighter margins driving producers to... Read More
Wild and whacky weather, tumultuous markets, the plight of the honeybee and more will feature prominently on the agenda of the 2015 Southwest Agricultural Conference. Slated for January 6th and 7th, 2015, at Ridgetown, Ontario, SWAC, as it’s affectionately known, is sure to sell out — and for good reason. This year’s agenda is packed... Read More
If you've noticed soil getting a whole lot more attention lately, it's for good reason. Not only are scientists beginning to unlock many of the mysteries of what lies beneath, but agriculture has also started to wake up to the importance and potential of soil management on yield. Farmers have always known that soil is... Read More
Yesterday, the Ontario premier's office and the ministry of the environment and climate change revealed its plan to restrict the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments. The goal, referred to as "aspirational," is to reduce the number of Ontario corn and soybean acres planted with the seed treatment by 80% by the year 2017. The details... Read More
SaskCanola has announced Janice Tranberg will serve as the group's new executive director, effective January 5, 2015. Tranberg most recently served as an assistant deputy minister for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and was responsible for three branches: Crops and Irrigation, Agriculture Research, and Regional Services. Prior to this, Janice served as the vice president... Read More
The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment and Climate Change announced today plans aimed at reducing by 80% the number of acres planted to corn and soybeans using neonicotinoid-treated seed by 2017, a level of reduction that equates to a de-facto ban, according to farm groups. The province says it will consult... Read More