On behalf of the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC), we would like to congratulate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the appointment of the new Cabinet announced this morning.

Grain Farmers of Ontario, the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers, congratulates the newly appointed federal cabinet and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau on her re-appointment as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture congratulates Minister Bibeau on her re-appointment as Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food. CFA, which represents 200,000 farm families across Canada, looks forward to working once again with Minister Bibeau on helping Canadian agriculture meet its vast potential, which has been outlined in the Barton report from the Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table.

Economic Development Regina launched the Agriculture and Food Innovation Strategy for Regina, with a vision of becoming the ag and food hub for Canada and the world. With this strategy, the Greater Regina Area will be known as a place of opportunity to start, grow, attract and scale agribusiness; will have a skilled and educated labour force and access to expertise to help the sector reach its full potential; will have the critical infrastructure in place and is supporting sector growth; and the GRA will become an agricultural powerhouse where the sector is sustainable, innovative, competitive, and resilient.

The latest Trends in Retail looks at food loss and waste and what is being done to reduce food loss and waste in retail and food service. ‘Food loss and waste (FLW) has been a topic of much concern for producers and consumers alike,‘ says Stephanie Budynski, coordinating researcher with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. ‘It is a global issue that has the potential to affect stakeholders across the food value chain.’ The latest Trends in Retail examines food loss and waste and the current actions that are being undertaken to reduce FLW specifically within retail and food service space.

At historically high canola prices, producers need to protect the integrity of their valuable crop in storage. ‘Canola harvested with either green canola or cereal seeds or green plant material increased the risk of spoilage,’ says Neil Blue, provincial crops market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. ‘And some canola has already been reported as spoiling in storage.’ Most parts of the Prairies received some late season rain. Generally, that rain was too late to help with crop yields, as most plants were already mature. However, those rains stimulated widespread plant growth.

Quebec MP Marie-Claude Bibeau has been re-appointed as Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his cabinet Tuesday morning. Bibeau became the country's first female agriculture minister when she took over the role back in 2019. Also of note, Quebec MP Steven Guilbeault will assume the role of Environment and Climate Change Minister while Ontario MP Mary Ng remains Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development.

As agriculture continues to grow, new processes and equipment are constantly popping up, leading to a need for trained professionals who can determine what's best for a farm. That's why Saskatchewan Polytechnic is offering a new course, specifically designed for agriculture's changing needs. The Agriculture and Food Production Diploma is an 80-week program focused on providing up-to-date tutelage on agricultural needs, especially on the prairies. The course will be focusing on both in-classroom and in the field learning, with a full acreage that the students will be utilizing over the year.

There's been talk that fertilizer is in short supply in some areas of the province. The issue was brought up last week during Keystone Agricultural Producers' (KAP) Fall Advisory Council Meeting. John Heard with Manitoba Agriculture says getting a soil test done is the best way to determine fertilizer needs heading into next year. "I know that a lot of people are soil testing, because I know those people that are in the business, and there's been a lot of demand for that service. One reason that it's really pertinent to do it this year, is that in areas where we've had drought affected, lower yields, there seems to be a considerable amount of nitrogen that's still there and available and should still be accessible for next year's use. That's certainly part of the inventory, we need to take into account when we're looking for fertilizer, or designing our fertility program for next year."

Researchers at the University of Manitoba (UM) have shared the results from the 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey. The report suggests that cover crops are becoming established in the Prairies and can be grown in a wide range of locations and environments. The survey was developed to provide information to farmers, agronomists, researchers, policy makers, and government organizations that will play an important role in the future of cover crops in the region.

Farmers Weekly

The main Budget offer for farmers is an extension to the annual investment allowance (AIA) at £1m until March 2023. The allowance offers 100% relief against spending on plant and equipment in the year it is purchased. The AIA had been due to drop to £200,000 from January 2022, after having originally been increased to […]

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Farmers Weekly

UK feed wheat futures for November 2022 have been at £190/t or higher for more than a week, prompting more interest in farmer forward sales. Ex-farm values for November 2022 were in the £180s/t depending on region on Wednesday 27 November, with selling interest largely by those who had bought their fertiliser before the recent […]

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Farmers Weekly

Store lamb averages remained defiantly strong through mid-October, buoyed by finishers securing large numbers of horned lambs and a resurgence in prime lamb values. An average store lamb was £76.53 a head last week, about £12 ahead of one year ago. Confidence has built on the back of the fact that sheep kill is 16% […]

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Farmers Weekly

Direct emissions from lamb production in Wales could be cut by 20% if sheep farmers adopted a range of measures to optimise output from their system and land base, according to new research. Wales is already one of the most sustainable places on earth to produce red meat because it can grow grass well, according […]

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Farmers Weekly

Fuel prices look set to stabilise and begin to drop as the after-effects of a difficult September start to diminish.  The national average red diesel price was at 73.6p/litre on Wednesday 27 October, down slightly from 74.3p/litre the previous week. This is based on a Farmers Weekly midweek survey of four suppliers across the UK […]

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Farmers Weekly

With every new round baler that comes along, manufacturers have invariably managed to produce a machine that crams more material at greater density into every package. It’s great for baling, transport and storage efficiency, but can pose a challenge when it comes to presenting the bales to hungry stock. Using a bale unroller is one […]

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Farmers Weekly

Carbon markets could unlock a £60m revenue stream for farmers willing to manage their hedgerows to help mitigate climate change. Hedgerows sequester carbon at more than twice the rate of woodland, says Joe Stanley, head of training and partnerships for the Allerton Project at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). Initial estimates suggest the […]

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Farmers Weekly

The AHDB has confirmed the Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) facility will hit the open market shortly, as the winding down of activity across AHDB Potatoes continues. The facility, based in south Lincolnshire, has been the primary source of independent advice on post-harvest potato storage since the 1960s. Rob Clayton, AHDB Potatoes strategy director, […]

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Farmers Weekly

Adapting farming practices can help livestock producers reduce their carbon footprint, increasing profitability as well as the environmental credentials of British meat. Improving productivity by utilising better animal genetics, reseeding with more productive grass varieties and finishing livestock faster can all contribute to reducing emissions. One farmer who is applying such principals to his livestock […]

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Farmers Weekly

I’ve probably said this before, but my brain’s desire to catch a lame sheep and my body’s ability to execute orders have become increasingly divorced. I still haven’t accepted this, but while sitting on the ground after a lame ram sidestepped me, it became obvious that the handling system will have to be moved more […]

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