Agripod

Canada's new agriculture minister spent some time in Saskatchewan. Heath MacDonald toured around various areas---Regina, Indian Head, and Davidson and met with farm leaders from the grain and oilseed, beef, and dairy sectors. Saskatchewan agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison also accompanied MacDonald on all stops during his tour. MacDonald will share more on the conversations and concerns of farme...

Farm Credit Canada's Food and Beverage Report for 2025 shows in detail the challenges each manufacturing sector faces due to the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. as well as changing consumer habits. But it also shows opportunity through those challenges. Senior Economist Amanda Norris will be looking at two sectors in particular: grain and oilseed milling and meat. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is...

A Montreal area-based farmer and agrotourism operator is taking steps to help maintain rare livestock genetics, particularly the Lacombe breed of pig. Established in 1982, Quinn Farm is a 200-acre agricultural and agrotourism operation that produces a variety of horticultural crops, more than 18 varieties of apples, Christmas and balsam trees, raises chickens, pigs and sheep, including many rare b...

Quick crop establishment lowers flea beetle risk. Growers responding to a Canola Council of Canada survey indicated flea beetles were the number one economic risk to canola last year . . . as well as 2022 and 2020. Flea beetle populations vary from year-to-year . . . but seeding depth and weather are  the two main variables. Keith Gabert is an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Ca...

Technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect weeds and other crop pests while passing over a field could reduce pesticide use by up to 95 per cent, maintaining crop yield, saving farmers roughly $50 per acre per growing season. A $26.2 million project is being led by Precision.ai, Sure Growth Solutions, Exceed Grain Marketing, and the Global Institute for Food Security at the Univer...

Control your money so it does not control you. Vanessa Stockbrugger is a former investment banker on Toronto’s Bay Street who went on to found and run Womencents. She says having more money does not necessarily fix things – instead, people need a strategy or action plan to achieve their financial goals. But what happens when that business is a farm. To reduce stress, she says people mu...

The dust has settled on the federal election and Canadian farmers will be looking to Canada's newly elected minority Liberal government to resolve Canada's trade disputes with both the United States and China. We talk to Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork, about the tariff threats and its impact on the agriculture sector. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is waiting to see what the n...

Amid a simmering global trade war, a former Manitoba Liberal leader is calling on Canadian agriculture to put a greater emphasis on supplying more of Canada's food needs, adding more value to Canadian agricultural products within Canada-- and diversifying Canada's export markets. Dr. Jon Gerrard says retaliatory tariffs imposed by China on Canadian canola, pea, pork and seafood imports / along wit...

With a lack of temporary foreign workers are higher food prices and fewer food choices on the horizon for Canadians? University of Calgary research associate Robert Falconer has released his second report on the role of temporary foreign workers in the Canadian agriculture sector. He said if there was any attempt to manage the food supply without these workers it is a strong possibility. Robert wi...

A farmer from southwestern Manitoba is calling for a patient and reasoned response from the federal government to the imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States on its trading partners to avoid escalating a brewing trade war. Jim Downey says it's hard to read what's happening in the U.S. from day-to-day but at this point, we still have the ability to trade freely with the United States....

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...

Confidence in Canada's Food System at an all-time high according to new research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). Canadians are optimistic about their food supply, even as Canada's food system faces exceptional pressure and public scrutiny due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020. President and CEO of CCFI John Jamieson will share the results of the latest public Trust Res...

Saskatchewan Open Farm Days provides a great opportunity for farmers to interact with and expand the public's understanding and trust of agriculture and to showcase the great agricultural products grown in the province. Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says expanding the understanding of those who do not live on a farm of what farmers do to produce food is becomin...

Preliminary results of research show pigs can be stimulated into engaging in play. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Prairie Swine Centre are exploring the prospects of using play to improve the emotional well being of pigs and improve their resilience and performance. In one experiment the behavior of two groups of pigs provided intermittent play opportunities was compared to a c...

Farmers have a plethora of support available at their fingertips - from apps to websites. But a very important national phone line has been launched to help farmers with their  mental health. The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Well-being (CCAW) announced the launch of the National Farmer Wellness Network Crisis Line, an initiative designed to help farmers, farm families, and agricultural wo...

To enhance the ability of pork producers to be prepared to respond to a foreign animal disease outbreak, the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board in partnership with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and the Animal Health Emergency Management project has released a mass euthanasia and disposal producer guide. Sask Pork Producer Services Manager Karolina Steinerova talks about the plan and tr...

The Research Lead with Agrifood Economic Systems suggests Canadian agricultural organizations and government need to come together quickly and act decisively in response to the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports. Agrifood Economic Systems has released a Policy Advisory Note which examines Canada's one month reprieve on U.S. tariffs and how the agri-food sector should use that time. Dr. Al...

When it comes to the various cuts of pork, consumer preferences have changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Since COVID consumers have been contending with steadily increasing food prices. Hubert Muckel, a retired southwestern Manitoba butcher-meat cutter who retired in 2023 after working more than 50 years, estimates food prices have approximately doubled over the past four years. The price...

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding a pesky weed called kochia. Wind helps spread the tumbleweed longer distances and there are more reports of herbicide resistant kochia. The seed banks are only viable for three years, but it has been discovered forages can compete with kochia in low-lying marginal areas. Ducks Unlimited Extension Agrologist Jodie Horvath says DU sponsored research pro...

With global politics, tariffs and uncertainty - canola prices in Canada would likely be higher, Marlene Boersch spoke to farmers and agronomists at a recent meeting sharing her thoughts on the canola market and the impact of impending tariffs. She says she's angry that Canada's most important trading partner is ignoring trade agreements that were signed. Plant growth regulators are synthetic compo...

A southwestern Manitoba farmer is calling on government and industry to explore the feasibility of establishing a processing facility that would extract medical compounds from the byproducts of hog processing. Heparin is a blood thinner that prevents the formation of blood clots. Jim Downey says he became interested in the medical side of production about three years ago when he was contacted by a...

Farmers get a lot of direction from agronomists, accountants, bankers and lawyers. All have a direct impact on their business. But one area they often neglect is their closest personal relationships. Our guest, Sean Brotherson, a professor and extension family science specialist from North Dakota State University says a farmer’s highest priority should be their spouse or partner. Today we ta...

The Federal Government needs to make changes to policies on illegal immigration and the illicit sale of drugs to avoid imposition of a 25 per cent US tariff on Canadian and Mexican pork imports. That comes from Florian Possberg, a partner in Polar Pork. He says 2025 looks positive for pork producers but a tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports could change all of that. A farmer and agricultur...

Researchers with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are using radio-frequency identification technology to track the feeding behavior of pigs to provide an early warning of disease. Dr. Raj Sharma says the development of autonomous technologies are designed to capture data 24-7 to monitor and track individual pig feeding behavior to provide early disease detection. He says it provides real-time in...

It was during very dry conditions that a retired soil scientist sent a message out on social media telling farmers they need to soil sample to understand what the nutrient carryover will be for the next crop. Smaller yields likely mean the fertilizer applied in the spring was not used up and could be available for the next crop. Ross McKenzie explains how the soil test could save farmers money at...