Snow on farmland at Turtle Lake in northwestern Saskatchewan on Oct. 14, 2016. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Saskatchewan snowpack points to below-normal runoff

Thanks to above-normal temperatures that drew down much of Saskatchewan’s snowpack in January, the province now sees “below normal runoff potential” in most areas outside the southeast. Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency on Thursday released its 2017 preliminary outlook for spring runoff, noting the province has another six to 10 weeks of possible snowpack development. The […] Read more


Blackleg was found in more than half of fields surveyed in Saskatchewan, however, where it was found, on average, only 12 per cent of the surveyed plants were infected.

Saskatchewan canola disease survey

Field surveyors found sclerotinia in almost all Saskatchewan fields in 2016

The incidence of sclerotinia stem rot in Saskatchewan oilseed crops was up in 2016, said Matthew Bernard, Saskatchewan provincial oilseed crops specialist. Bernard presented the results of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s 2016 canola disease survey at Oilseed Producer Meetings around the province in mid-November. In Weyburn, Bernard told oilseed growers, “there were 224 canola […] Read more

Saskatchewan Farmland Prices.

90 years of Saskatchewan farmland prices

Saskatchewan land prices have been on the move since 1968. What’s next?

Readers have been asking for an update on farmland prices but I was having trouble accessing the required data. Thanks to Terry Bedard of Saskatchewan Agriculture for sending me recent average price data. This data is just for Saskatchewan. Alberta land prices are changed by many factors that are not related to what is grown […] Read more





Cattle amble through fresh snow in northwestern Saskatchewan on Oct. 22, 2016. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Saskatchewan taking livestock premises ID mandatory

Saskatchewan livestock producers wanting to take part in provincial programs will soon have to have a valid premises identification (ID) number. The provincial and federal governments on Thursday announced the new requirement for Saskatchewan producers will take effect “over the coming months.” The province has had a voluntary premises ID (PID) program in place since […] Read more

Kris Mayerle took a shot at the 100-bushel canola challenge on his farm, KRM Farms at Tisdale, Sask.

The Saskatchewan experience

Canola 100 Challenge: The contest might be a personal challenge to see what it takes to produce top yield

Kris Mayerle says a 100-bushel canola yield just doesn’t fall into your grain cart. While cranking the nutrients onto a 100-acre field on his northeast Saskatchewan farm did increase yields in 2016, he’d still like to find the practices that are needed to hit or at least close in more on that elusive high-yield target. Mayerle, who along with family members […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Six quarantines lifted in bovine TB probe

Six premises deemed to be “low-risk” have been released from federal quarantine as officials continue their hunt for Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle exposed to bovine tuberculosis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday reported it had lifted movement controls on six premises where “appropriate testing” has been completed on cattle so far in the agency’s […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Farmers look for rallies

CNS Canada — As the last remaining days of harvest tick down, farmers are beginning to look for rallies to sell into, according to an analyst in the market. “The farmer continues to struggle out there, but seems content to sell into the rallies. I don’t think they’re selling into the breaks,” said Keith Ferley […] Read more