Agripod

It's a given that pastures and land growing forages store additional carbon in the soil. The question is how much carbon is stored and which management practices increase forage production. A new five-year carbon soil mapping study aims to answer those questions. The joint effort between research scientists at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Alberta will be conducted in our provin...

The National Farmers Union has updated its report on greenhouse gas emissions . . . using recently released 2020 data. The report said emissions from Canadian agriculture and the production of associated farm inputs is up 35 percent since 1990. NFU Director of Climate Crisis Policy Darrin Qualman will talk about the report and the significance of a 35 per cent increase spread over three decad...

All kinds of conditions on the prairies this year. Very dry in the west but wet in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan which has meant seeding has been delayed. A retired agronomist says broadcasting seeding could be an option on those wet fields. Ag Direct Hail has created another option for farmers. It is the first and only, exclusively online private crop hail insurance provider on the Prairies....

Humans can transmit avian influenza to birds. That message from Dr. Susan Detmer, an Associate Professor with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. The Saskatchewan government made the move to restrict the movements of birds including pet birds and falcons and refrain from taking birds to shows to reduce the risk that they could pick up, transmit and spread the virus. She will talk abou...

A new agreement has been signed between SeedMaster and John Deere. The SeedMaster Toolbar will be used exclusively with John Deere air seeding equipment. SeedMaster CEO Don Henry calls it a win for both companies and the agriculture industry. The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization that invests in agricultural rese...

Canola seeded into cool, over-wet and over-dry soil can be slow to emerge and slow to grow.  That can put seedlings at higher risk of flea beetle damage. Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Keith Gabbert says farmers need to prepare seedbeds as well as possible to help the crop outgrow its susceptible stage quickly. And while seed treatments usually provide effective protection past...

A treasure trove of data from the 2021 census of agriculture is being released. Erin Kumar is responsible for the census of agriculture at Statistics Canada. She says the information will provide a sense of what’s going on in the AG sector and how the definition of a farm is changing. And a team of researchers is taking a look at food security and culture following the pandemic. University o...

Pulse processing in this country is expanding again.   Eat Well Investment Group, which owns Belle Pulses plans to upgrade and expand its production facilities to meet recent demand increases caused by the global food supply chain crisis. Eat Well Chief investment officer Mark Coles says Belle produced approximately 90,000 metric tonnes of protein in 2021 and will be adding up to an additiona...

Canola Council of Canada says advanced biofuels is a new opportunity for growth for the country's canola growers. Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal that could open the export doors even wider for Canadian canola producers. The proposed plan would recognize renewable diesel and jet fuel made from canola oil as “advanced biofuels” under the U.S. R...

Healthy soils retain carbon and are an unsung hero waiting in the wings to tackle climate change. That's the main message of a new 52 page report released by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada . . . and the Compost Council of Canada. The report says if properly managed . . . Canada's 175 million acres of agricultural and urban soils can be developed to increase and retail more carbon . . . he...

The federal government tabled its new emissions reduction plan as required under the net-zero emissions law passed last year. It projects the oil and gas industry will need to cut greenhouse emissions by 42 per cent by the end of the decade from current levels. Agriculture accounts for about 10 per cent of that total and the challenge will be to reduce that to net zero by the year 2050. Branden Le...

The work stoppage at CP Rail lasted for two days . . . before the two sides agreed to let the dispute enter binding arbitration. There is plenty of relief that CP service resumed without having to go through the lengthy process of back-to-work legislation for the 3,000 engineers, conductors, train and yard workers. Greg Northey is the Vice President of Corporate Affair with Pulse Canada. He will t...

Even with the threat of interest rate increases it appears farmers are still hungry for land. Farm Credit Canada Chief economist J.P. Gervais shares the results of the 2021 Farmland values report. He says the price for the country's farmland climbed despite impacts from pandemic supply chain disruptions and adverse weather that affected parts of the country. India has lifted fumigation requirement...

The United Nations is warning the war in Ukraine could send global food prices soaring. Murad Al-Katib is the CEO and President of AGT Food and Ingredients. He says Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of grain---especially to Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Al-Katib explains how a shortage of food could increase domestic tensions in those countries in the...

Another value-added food processing announcement for the prairies. AGT Food and Ingredients will be adding an oat processing line to its facility in Aberdeen . . . about 40 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. The Aberdeen plant has been handling pulse crops for about 15 years . . . and some construction will be needed for the oat expansion. Murad Al-Katib is the president and CEO of AGT Food and In...

Measuring the environmental sustainability of farming. The National Index on Agri-Food Performance is focused on developing a set of indicators and metrics that measures these practices across the agriculture and agrifood sector will allow Canada to back up its sustainability claims. Protein Industries Canada C.E.O. Bill Greuel says this will strengthen the country's reputation and global brand an...

The US and Canada are scheduled to receive rare malting barley cargoes from Argentina and Australia as drought conditions in North America last summer have weighed on both countries' production of crop. Will this result in more barley being grown on the prairies? Zenneth Faye, the new chair of the Barley Council of Canada will talk about production prospects and what he is planning for his own far...

Eight farm groups in Canada have called on governments to end the border blockades and restore the flow of goods and animals across the U.S. border. The groups include the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian Pork Council, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). CFA second Vice President Todd Lewis will tell us how these prolonged disruptions are affecting shipments of food, livest...

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are being felt around the world. The agriculture sector is no exception as the uncertainty is having an impact on grain markets. How can farmers plan with another level of uncertainty? Errol Anderson is the president of ProMarket Communications in Calgary. He is going to share his thoughts on the conflict as well as thoughts on the oilseed, pulse, and cattle mar...

Farmers and ranchers were interviewed over the past year for a mental health project organized by Saskatchewan Polytechnic and its research chair for rural health. Patient-advisors, with a background in agriculture, conducted those interviews. Shari Laventure is a grain marketing specialist with Cargill and was one of those advisors. Laventure volunteered for the project as a way to help cope with...

The federal government revealed plans to rebate carbon taxes paid by farmers in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in the Dec. 14 fiscal update. It was promised, in the lead-up to the federal budget in spring 2021, that it would refund an estimated $100 million to farmers in provinces without federally-approved carbon pricing systems in 2021. Many farmers argue the rebate has fallen shor...

A popular agricultural trade show in Saskatchewan returned after a pandemic break and farmers as well as the agriculture industry welcomed the opportunity to meet face to face again. Scott Lessmeister is the western regional sales manager for Brandt Agricultural products. He'll share what he heard from farmers who are preparing for spring seeding. Farm Credit Canada economists have created a top f...

The 2021 growing season was one of challenges and successes at the Discovery Farm which is adjacent to the Ag in Motion site near Langham, Saskatchewan. The Discovery Farm has released its 2021 Field Report which covers over 20 research and demonstration projects. Many of those projects are conducted in conjunction with industry partners. Blake Weiseth is the applied research lead at the Discovery...

Wheat prices were, at one point, up over 50 per cent September 2021 over the September previous according to Statistics Canada's latest report. The federal agency said it was the largest increase in the grains index since 2008. Strong demand and tightening supplies in Western Canada strengthened both wheat and barley prices. Farmer Bill Gehl is wrapping up an eight-year stint as a past chair and d...

For this episode I've picked two of my favourite stories from the archives and combined them into a unique episode. First, Bob Tosh, a farm and family advisor with MNP. The process of transitioning the farm from one generation to the next is a long and difficult process. What makes it so difficult is each family farm business is unique and no single approach works for everyone. Bob will discuss th...