Harvest action on the evening of Aug. 28 near Domain, Man., south of Winnipeg. (Shannon VanRaes photo)

Rain expected for Prairies into weekend, next week

CNS Canada — Rain is going to slow weekend harvest progress in parts of the Prairies, though farmers in most areas will still be able to get into their fields, one meteorologist says. But as temperatures drop, some late-maturing crops may have been hit with frost damage. Showers are expected to slow weekend harvest activity […] Read more

Spotty showers allow some harvest progress, most areas still slow-going

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending September 12

Rain slowed harvest in most areas of the province last week. The most progress was made in parts of the west-central and northeastern regions, where spotty rain showers allowed producers to continue working in the field for a day or two. Thirty-eight per cent of the crop has been combined and 38 per cent is […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Nutrien)

Fertilizer merger highlights big-picture concerns

CNS Canada — A multi-billion-dollar merger between two major crop input companies is the latest in a string of consolidation efforts in North America’s agriculture industry, drawing attention again to the possible effects on the value chain. Agrium and PotashCorp announced Monday they plan to combine to create an integrated global supplier of crop inputs, […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official

The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more


Dry weather helps make for good harvest progress

Dry weather helps make for good harvest progress

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending September 5

Saskatchewan producers made good progress with harvest, thanks to a week of primarily dry weather. Thirty-two per cent of the crop has been combined and 38 per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report. This is ahead of the five-year (2011-2015) average of 28 per cent combined for […] Read more

LaserAg offers these small cups for soil collection. Sample takers can use LaserAg’s software to determine where to sample. Scanning the bar code on the top of the cup with a smartphone after the sample is taken will automatically record information about the sample, including the exact location. Filled cups can be submitted by mail, and results will be returned electronically within two weeks.

New soil test company on the block

New technology is bringing another way to test the soil on your farm

Jacques Nault’s brother Charles Nault first heard about Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technology at a pharmaceutical conference. “It was presented as a tool to do quality control, to make sure pills contained the right molecules,” Jacques Nault says. As co-founders of LogiAg, an agronomy service and technology firm based in Chateauguay, Quebec, the Nault brothers began imagining how LIBS […] Read more



Harvest starts to hit the bin, progress on par with five-year-average

Harvest starts to hit the bin, progress on par with five-year-average

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending August 15

Saskatchewan producers have three per cent of the 2016 crop in the bin, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Seven per cent of the provincial crop is swathed or ready to straight-cut. Harvest progress is on par with the five-year average (2011-2015). The break in rain showers toward the end of the week allowed […] Read more


The city of Prince Albert, which has closed its water intake from the North Saskatchewan River, is again supplying its rural water utility, but from a different source. (CityPA.ca)

Livestock water supplies still a concern after oil spill

While cleanup and water testing continue on the North Saskatchewan River, livestock producers with river access are still advised to find alternate water sources. Jenifer Heyden, livestock specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in North Battleford, said ministry staffers and Husky Energy did work with a few producers who were having trouble accessing alternate water sources, to […] Read more

rutted field after harvest

Harvest underway in Sask., farmers dealing with excessive moisture

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending August 8

Harvest operations are underway in the province. Thirty-five per cent of the winter wheat, 25 per cent of the fall rye, four per cent of the peas and one per cent of the lentils are combined, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Haying operations continue with 79 per cent of the hay crop now […] Read more