Canada’s agriculture ministers pose for their annual family photo in Charlottetown. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada photo)

Trade ‘balancing act’ in focus at ag ministers’ meeting

With foreign governments urging Canada to open up its protected dairy, poultry and egg markets, the country’s provincial agriculture ministers are unanimously counter-urging in supply management’s defense. Pressure from trading partners and strong regional support in principle for supply management are nothing new. But Canada’s annual ag ministers’ meeting, held this week in Charlottetown, wrapped […] Read more




(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Sask. to open protected grasslands for grazing

Crown-held native prairie and other grasslands held for wildlife conservation in Saskatchewan will be opened up to ranchers needing grazing land for cattle in dry areas. Environment Minister Herb Cox announced Tuesday the province will make about 90,000 acres of Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) land available to cattle producers. The same grazing lease […] Read more



Parched Prairie forages hang in under stress

Parched Prairie forages hang in under stress

CNS Canada — Sporadic rains and prolonged periods of dryness are taking their toll on forage crops in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. According to Terry Kowalchuk, a forage crop specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Regina, the eastern half of the province is managing, but the situation is worse in the province’s west. The western […] Read more


Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies for week centred on July 1. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. forecaster sees El Nino likely into N. Hemisphere spring

New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday warned that much-watched El Nino conditions are likely to last another nine months, potentially roiling global crops and commodities prices. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center projected a more than 90 per cent chance that El Nino would continue through this winter […] Read more




(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Sask. extends greenfeed seeding deadline

Livestock producers in parched areas of Saskatchewan now have until mid-month to seed insured acres to cereal greenfeed. The federal and provincial governments on Thursday announced an extension of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp.’s deadline for seeding greenfeed to July 15, from June 30. Producers signed up for crop insurance will now be able to seed […] Read more