Agripod

A document released by the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance outlines eleven principles designed to help Canada's trade negotiators achieve fair and sustainable trade agreements that won't inadvertently hinder trade. CAFTA Executive Director Michael Harvey says the document "Principles for Sustainable and Fair Trade in the Agri-Food Sector." - provides a structured approach for governments and int...

It’s a new chapter for Ray Orb, as he is now adjusting to life after being the president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) for the last ten years, and twenty overall with the Board. Orb talks about what he has seen in his two decades with the organization, working with different levels of government, the key issues, accomplishments and regrets. Root rot in pulse crops...

The subject is Family Farm succession is complex and emotional. That's why we felt it was topic that was worthy of being the focus of the entire podcast this week. While discussions surrounding succession can be difficult there are strategies available to Canadian farm business families to confidently navigate the paths of transition decision making. My guest is Patti Durand, a certified Family En...

Canadian Western Agribition’s Next Gen Mentorship Program was created to support the next generation of agriculture leaders. The program matches eight young leaders in the agriculture industry with professionals for an 18-month mentorship where they gain skills and experiences to advance their careers. David McTaggart is one of the mentees in the fourth cohort. He has been partnered with Protein I...

Showcasing agriculture innovation - that's the premise behind the Innovation Awards handed out before the start of this year's outdoor farm show Ag in Motion. There were 5 categories – crops, livestock, business solutions, agronomics and environmental sustainability I had a chance to speak to 2 of the winners at Dennis Bulani the creator of the HedgeHog app that allows farmers to quickly hedge die...

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 coming years....

Hunters and wildlife, like bears, add to the challenges of locating feral wild boar. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, Alberta pork and Alberta Invasive Species Council are working together to locate and eliminate wild boar from Alberta's landscape,  Charlotte Shipp is the industry programs manager with Alberta Pork, and she will talk about their joint efforts.    Western Canada's largest outdoo...

Cereals Canada recently released its annual report and announced the national cereal grain value chain organization want a new facility that would serve as the hub for Canada’s grain industry, promoting the use of Canadian crops around the world. That new $100 million facility would be built in downtown Winnipeg and would be branded as the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (GATE.) Cereals Can...

Canadian agriculture needs to focus on adapting to climate change in a manner that will help sustain food security in the world. A policy paper released by Agri-Food Economic Systems, reviewed the effects of climate change on agriculture. Research Lead Dr. Al Mussell says data from Environment and Climate Change Canada indicates Canada is getting warmer and wetter, however, rather than focusing on...

A series of surveys conducted by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine suggests a need to step up the recruitment of veterinary students. In response to a shortage of swine veterinarians, surveys asked how long vets had been in practice, their educational background, what attracted them to the profession and how long they plan to remain active. Dr. John Harding, a professor of swine medicine...

Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan, through its canadianfoodfocus.org web site, has released the first of a series of videos to help non-farming consumers relate to farmers and life on the farm. Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says Canadian Food Focus was viewed as an opportunity to get out of our agriculture bubble. Shaping sustainability standards and what it mean...

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

The introduction of new technology has helped revolutionize the application of livestock manure fertilizer to cropland. This is an important topic as we examine the influence of modern agriculture on the environment and calls for the creation of a provincially appointed task group to develop solutions to the algae problem in Lake Winnipeg. Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl says the modernizat...

The world is closely watching the situation in the United States surrounding   Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza that has appeared in US dairy herds. HPAI was detected in milk and in dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas, while the virus has been confirmed in dairy herds in other states, in baby goats and one dairy farm worker has tested positive for the virus. Veterinary pathologist  Dr. Susan De...

The subject of Family Farm succession is complex and emotional. That's why we felt it was topic that was worthy of being the focus of the entire podcast this week. While discussions surrounding succession can be difficult there are strategies available to Canadian farm business families to confidently navigate the paths of transition decision making. My guest is Patti Durand, a certified Family En...

A Farm Credit Canada report shows farmland rental rates are keeping pace with farmland values. FCC has been comparing rental rates to the price of farmland and the data shows the national rent-to-price ratio in 2023 was 2.52 per cent, reflecting a decline from the previous year. FCC Senior Economist Justin Shepherd says in 2023 we saw some fairly strong farmland value growth across the prairies, e...

The Western Canadian Animal Health Network (WeCAHN)  is keeping a close watch on H5N1 Avian Flu in the United States. Network coordinator  Dr. Barbara Wilhelm says industry, the provinces, the federal government, veterinarians, regional surveillance networks like WeCAHN,are planning for, as much as possible, prevent the opportunity for Avian Influenza to enter Canadian farms. Grain movement on CN...

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was disappointed to see insufficient investment in agriculture in the 2024 budget. President Keith Currie said farmers continue to struggle under the weight of high-interest rates, a price on carbon for essential farming activities, and an increased risk of extreme weather events. He said these challenges are testing the limits and effectiveness of risk...

The farming industry is constantly changing. New innovations are being developed to make farms more efficient. A research project involving a Naicam Sask. Consulting company and the University of Regina are looking for a way to reduce environmental impact and save money.  Cory Willness of Crop Pro Consulting will talk about SWAT BOX, a data collection sensor and how information it collects can be...

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...

A new study from the Environmental Working Group has determined that 80 per cent of Americans are regularly exposed to the plant growth regulator chlormequat. It is used to control growth in grain crops such as oats, wheat, and barley in order to make them easier to harvest. Terry Tyson is the General Manager of Grain Millers Canada in Yorkton, Sask.  He provides his take on the situation and shar...

The Swine Health Information Center has five new research projects approved for funding under the 2.3 million dollar Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program. The initiative was launched to enhance biosecurity during the wean-to-harvest of phase of pork production. Associate Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says five institutions, including Lowe Consulting, Pipestone Research, Texas Tech Univer...

The value of Canadian farmland rose 11.5% in 2023, according to a new report by agriculture lending firm Farm Credit Canada. While, overall it's a slight slowdown from the growth in 2022, it's still a rapid pace given cooling economic conditions overall. The lender's latest report on farmland values found that they increased in every province tracked except for British Columbia. The highest increa...

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 of he...

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...