Manitoba is unique. Not because of its polar bears, or mosquitoes. The province has adopted a unique approach to fight climate change and improve the environment. The government has placed more than $100 million into the Conservation Trust. The interest from that investment will help pay for projects that combat droughts, reduce the impact of […] Read more

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Members of Parliament sitting on the committee dealing with agricultural issues continue to hear concerns over the federal government’s response to COVID-19. During a May 27 meeting, members of the Canadian Mushrooms Grower’s Association raised “grave concerns” over the support they have received. Chief executive officer Ryan Koeslag said additional measures put in place by […] Read more

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New data from Statistics Canada shows farm cash receipts continue to trend upward, increasing in 2019 by 5.7 percent or $66.1 billion to mark the ninth consecutive year of increase and the largest single uptick since 2012. But that number is less impressive when cannabis is removed from the equation because it represents 2.8 percent […] Read more

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The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity is launching a new campaign to inform consumers on how the food system works. “It’s Good, Canada” will share personal stories of Canadians working across the food supply chain and provide information about farming, transportation, processing, retail and production on its website, www.itsgoodcanada.ca. “It’s natural for Canadians to have […] Read more

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North American Helium has raised $39 million to build a helium purification plant in southwestern Saskatchewan. The plant will be located in the Calgary-based company’s Battle Creek field near Consul. The Battle Creek is a Milk River tributary that flows from Alberta into Saskatchewan through Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park and near Fort Walsh. Cypress Hills […] Read more

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A labour dispute between Federated Co-operatives Ltd., and unionized workers from FCL’s refinery in Regina was expected to spill into rural Saskatchewan this week, potentially delaying bulk fuel deliveries to farmers. In a May 22 interview with The Western Producer, a spokesperson for the union that represents 730 locked-out refinery workers said unionized workers were […] Read more

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Collapse of an irrigation structure in northern Montana last week is affecting flow in the Milk River on the Alberta side, potentially disrupting the coming irrigation season. The Milk River as it flows into Canada is dependent on a diversion of water from the St. Mary River into the Milk through a canal and siphon […] Read more

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BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) — The European Commission unveiled a plan last week to increase organic farming and cut agricultural chemical use to protect the environment. The proposals were welcomed by environmental groups, but farmers said they would make them less flexible. Agriculture is a contributor to climate change, producing around 10 percent of European Union […] Read more

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Clubroot is everywhere. The soil-borne disease is present in canola fields in Manitoba’s Interlake and can be found 1,400 kilometres west in the region around Edmonton. While it’s a serious disease and represents a long-term risk for the sustainability of canola production, many producers aren’t using genetic tools to ward off clubroot. Less than half […] Read more

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The Alberta government will launch a bid system to identify which cattle should be processed, helping address massive bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no timelines yet on when the system will be in place, but it’s part of the government’s staged approach in helping producers weather impacts caused by the crisis, said […] Read more

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