Agripod

The United States confirmed it was not going to renew the Canada-US-Mexico agreement in its current form for another 16 years. Farm Credit Canada is one of many groups paying extra attention to the July 1st deadline. In preparation, FCC released a report in June on what would happen if the agreement were not renewed. FCC Vice-president and Chief Economist Craig Johnston says included in the report...

The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes meat as nutritious, and a food item Americans should be prioritizing at every meal. The document is published every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and serves as the official blueprint for federal nutrition policies, education programs, and food assistance ini...

Visitors from across Canada and Switzerland travelled to Northeast Saskatchewan to learn more about sustainable agriculture practices. The group, Nature United, is the Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization with more than a million members. Kris Babbings, the president of Collective Impact, lead the tour. He talks about the importance of how the tour gave...

Provisions will be included in the U.S. House of Representatives version of the Farm, Food and National Security Act to address feral swine. The bill now awaits action in the Senate, where the Senate Agriculture Committee is drafting its own version. National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys at World Pork Expo in Des Moines, says feral swine have become a real problem that needs to be ad...

Manitoba Pork is calling for the creation of strategic plan for dealing with trade. General manager Cam Dahl says in the wake of the recent U.S. election, the federal government needs to develop a national strategy for agriculture and food trade particularly as Canada heads into the 2026 review of the Canada U.S. Mexico Agreement. AND Protein Industries Canada is looking for companies that can ble...

The planned closure of the Lacombe Research and Development Centre places Canadian research programing at risk. In January, as part of a broader federal mandate to reduce the size of the public service, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced the imminent closure of several research facilities. Dr. Stuart Smyth, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the Univers...

The conflict that has affected the movement of goods through the Straight of Hormuz has resulted in reduced fertilizer availability leading to reduced grain production and shortages of food. As the result of trade friction and global conflict Canadian farmers are facing increased uncertainty. Florian Possberg says the pork sector has enjoyed relatively low feed costs but there is some real concern...

Corteva Agriscience announced its new brand, Trusource™ wheat, a high fiber durum that can help meet consumers’ needs for increased dietary fiber through use in high-volume foods such as pasta. Trusource wheat will be available to food companies to trial in product development and evaluation in late 2024, with North American commercialization plans for farmers to be announced in the co...

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) launches a new strategic plan with a new focus on priorities with the greatest impact on pulse growers in Saskatchewan, looking ahead to 2030.  SPG Executive Director Carl Potts explains the plan is built on direction from its ninemember Board of Directors-made up of farmers. The new plan highlights four key focus areas. AND The Saskatchewan Association of Rur...

Cargill announced its newest canola processing facility west of Regina is in operation. Jeff Vassart the President of Cargill Canada says in the months leading up to this week, they were already taking in canola as part of the commissioning process. AND If you want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes operation of a farm, then Saskatchewan Open Farm Days might just be for you. Coordinator Ash...

Given the high prices of fertilizer, what would influence farmers to change their seeding plans? That's a question Farm Credit Canada explored with an analysis on swing acres and which crops could see the most change between now and when seeding begins. FCC senior economist Lee Anderson talks about fertilizer prices, its effect on some of those decisions, and how that has all happened since the co...

Computer based artificial intelligence is offering new insights into animal welfare. A new tool being developed by the University of Saskatchewan is using A.I.at the abattoir. The University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have developed an automated swine welfare assessment system consisting of a digital security camer...

The Vice-President of the Canadian Fuels Association says diesel prices are currently at historical levels in Canada. Carol Montreuil has observed a lot of places across the country have diesel prices above $2.00 a litre with some in the range of $2.25 to $2.50 a litre. He says that's not the case yet in Saskatchewan but the trend, given the conflict in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormu...

Canada ranks number three in the world for herbicide resistant weeds, only behind the United States and Australia. The last extensive survey in Saskatchewan occurred in 2019-2020 and estimated producer losses due to herbicide resistant weeds at $340 million per year. It found that green foxtail, volunteer canola, wild oat, wild buckwheat and kochia were the biggest concerns.  The top instance...

A successful canola crop needs a lot of nitrogen, which is why nitrogen has A-list status. That same successful crop also depends on a strong supporting cast - phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and micronutrients. Canola council of Canada agronomy specialist Warren Ward says farmers will benefit from soil tests, yield history and economics to determine how much fertilizer their canola needs. AND Prot...

Retaliatory duties imposed on U.S. pork in response to the Trump Administration's tariff threats will have a far more negative effect on Canadian market hog prices than U.S. duties on imports from Canada. As North American farmers await the next moves in Donald Trump's on again off again tariff war, analysts are monitoring developments in the U.S. as well as the international reaction to them. Pau...

A just released study looks at supply management and the renegotiation of the Canada United States Mexico Agreement. Milk, eggs, chicken, turkey and, in most provinces, hatching eggs, are produced and marketed in Canada through supply management. The Agri-Food Economic Systems Independent Agri-Food Policy Note examines the expected discussions on supply management as we approach the CUSMA renegoti...

While the use of food fermentation has typically been used for food preservation, people like the taste of fermented foods and are now discovering the heath benefits.  Dr. Jeremy Burton, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Western University and a cofounder of the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative, will explain the fermentation process and health benefits. AND  Alberta's late...

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's proposed changes to traceability regulations have been a hot topic among the cattle community. And it's kept the Saskatchewan Cattle Association (SCA) and like-minded groups busy, gathering feedback from producers. It all started in December when the CFIA first announced the proposed changes before swift backlash forced them to pause them to do more consultati...

A just completed economic impact assessment shows an eight to one return on dollars invested in pork sector research in Canada. Swine Innovation Porc explored the findings of an impact assessment which examined the returns on pork sector research investment in Canada. Dr. Stuart Smyth, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics  at the University of Saskatchewan, and...

The forecast is looking bright for the pork sector in 2026. Farm Credit Canada expects a profitable year as outlined in the 2026 Hog Outlook. FCC Senior Economist Justin Shepherd says 2025 ended up being a pretty good year for the hog industry in Canada and North America due to lower feed costs and strong pricing. This was fueled by strong demand for meat and higher costs for substitute proteins,...

Ranchers care about the animals they raise. That is why when it's -50 with the windchill - they are on high alert watching out for those newborn calves. Sometimes it means going to any lengths to get them warmed up quickly so they can be returned to their mothers. One rancher in southern Saskatchewan had several calves born on a very cold day. Those three newborn calves spent some time on a bathro...

What should I make for dinner? Canada Beef will say...beef.. of course. But what cut of beef should I chose? How do I prepare it? That's why Canada Beef is working towards getting QR codes on every package of beef. One quick scan with your smart phone and all of those questions will be answered. Canada Beef President Michael Young says when every cut of beef has its own QR code the home cook will...

A company based in Edam in northwest Saskatchewan is getting ready to launch a pilot testing program for a new cattle ear tag. Company owner James Babcock says the Ori-tags take basic health data from the cattle and use artificial intelligence to benefit the producer's operation. While there's room for pork producers to be optimistic heading into 2026, that optimism is being tempered by tariff thr...

Grocery prices are rising, but the farmer's share continues to shrink. This according to National Farmers Union Vice President Stuart Wells. He says corporate processors and retailers are the ones that are benefiting. Wells will explain that consumers need to know that less and less of the money  they spend on food actually makes it back to the farmer, and retail food prices are high because...