(Bayer.com)

Bayer says needs more time for Monsanto deal approval

Monheim, Germany | Reuters — German drugs and pesticides group Bayer said Tuesday it was now likely to be early next year before it can complete its US$66 billion deal to acquire U.S. group Monsanto, later than previously expected. The European Commission has been scrutinizing the proposed takeover with a deadline of Jan. 8 but […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Storms worsen summer slump in U.S. diesel supply

New York | Reuters — U.S. diesel stockpiles did something this year that has never happened in the summer before: They shrank. And that was even before Hurricane Harvey landed, knocking out a quarter of U.S. refining capacity, crippling production of fuel products. Thanks to surprising summer demand, particularly from exports, inventories of diesel, jet […] Read more

Sixty-five per cent of crops in the bin, winter cereal seeding on hold for many

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending September 4

Producers have made significant harvest progress, due in large part to the warm and dry weather, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report. Sixty-five per cent of the crop is now combined, up from 45 per cent last week, which is well ahead of the five year (2012-2016) average of 40 per cent combined for […] Read more



Food guide isn’t keen on red meat

Food guide isn’t keen on red meat

Hart Attacks: The problem isn’t that I don’t know about good food... the problem is me

Boy, I can’t wait for the revised version of the Canada Food Guide to hit the store shelves so I can start eating properly. Health Canada is proposing changes to the food guide steering people away from red meat and more towards “alternative” proteins such as plant-based proteins — your peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, or […] Read more


(Staff photo)

Canada’s antitrust watchdog clears Nutrien merger

Canada’s Competition Bureau will put up no reasons why PotashCorp and Agrium shouldn’t be joined in Nutrien. The federal antitrust regulator on Monday issued a “no action” letter on the all-stock merger-of-equals that Saskatoon’s PotashCorp and Calgary’s Agrium proposed in September last year. The two companies, when merged, are to be headquartered in Saskatoon under […] Read more



Tom King (left) from the soils science department at the University of Saskatchewan talked about plant nutrient and 4R field trials at Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Crop Diagnostic School in Indian Head in July.

Growing crops in saline soil

Sometimes dividing up the field is the best solution to salinity

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s Crop Diagnostic School is a great opportunity for farmers and agronomists to get outside for a hands-on, up-close look at plots, plants, insects and weeds. This summer, the School was held in Indian Head over two days in July. One of the many speakers, Gary Krueger, Saskatchewan Agriculture irrigation agrologist […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Farmers to deal with stronger loonie for rest of 2017

CNS Canada — Higher interest rates and a stronger Canadian dollar relative to U.S. currency is giving Canadian farmers a double whammy. According to Farm Credit Canada’s chief agricultural economist, it’s also a situation farmers will likely have to deal with for at least the remainder of the year. J.P. Gervais said he thinks farmers […] Read more