a flock of sheep on pasture in Manitoba's Interlake region. Pic: Dave Bedard

Why not a Prairie sheep sector?

Practical Research: We have demand here for lamb but the supply, for now, is mainly elsewhere

If Wales can raise 10 million sheep, why can the Prairies, at 100 times the area, only raise around 300,000? The demand for lamb is there, whether for domestic or export purposes, Ieuan Evans writes.






wildfire smoke over cattle grazing outside calgary 2023

What we know about how wildfire smoke affects Prairie crops

Impacts depend on smoke quantity, plant progress, surrounding weather conditions

With nearly 100 active wildfires across the three Prairie provinces at this writing, farmers don’t have to go far to see and feel the effects of smoke in the atmosphere — but what this year’s crops will experience is a more complicated matter. If you’ve got time for some reading right now, here we’ve gathered […] Read more

Prairie farmland rentals rates difficult to track

Prairie farmland rentals rates difficult to track

Rental rates could be important in 2025 as grain producers deal with lower grain prices and relatively high input costs

In Red Deer County in central Alberta, a survey found cropland leasing rates were around $75 per acre. Renting that same land could be 40-50 per cent more expensive in 2025 — but it’s difficult to even make a guess because land rents are considered a “dark market.”


Here’s a closer-up look at a plot of CDC Esme growing outside the SeCan booth at Ag in Motion at Langham, Sask. in July.

Essential oils: New Prairie oilseeds for 2025

Details on new sunflowers, mustards and flax

Seven new varieties of sunflower, mustard and flax will be available to plant in Western Canada next year, thanks to new seed releases from Corteva, Mustard 21, Nuseed and SeCan. Here’s a rundown on the new offerings. RELATED READING: Corteva: Pioneer P63HE920 is a high oleic sunflower hybrid that is suitable for growing in the […] Read more

Dry matter intakes, finished weights, average daily gains and gain:feed of steers fed a standard barley-based control diet were not statistically different from those of the steers fed any of the three corn diets in a recent comparison study.

Corn in western Canadian feedlot diets

The production risk still must be bred out of Prairie-grown corn before it can reach its full potential in feedlots

Corn acreage is expanding across Canada. There are about 25 acres of corn for every acre of barley in Ontario and Quebec, where temperatures, day length and moisture allow predictable corn yields and feed quality. There are around eight acres of barley for every acre of corn in the Prairies, although ambitious breeding efforts are […] Read more


soybean crops

New soybean varieties for 2025

Beans with high yields, improved standability, strong defence packages and more are on offer

Farmers in Western Canada have 15 new soybean options to choose from next year. BrettYoung, Corteva, Dekalb, NorthStar Genetics, Proven Seed, SeCan, Syngenta and Thunder Seed are all releasing new soybean varieties for the coming growing season. Note: the following list includes only brand-new releases for 2025. BrettYoung Corteva: Brevant Seeds Corteva: Pioneer Seed P003Z08E […] Read more

Corteva’s next round of soybean product launches will be enhancements on products that are already available.

Changing weather, changing varieties

With growing conditions in flux, adaptability is a consideration for soybean developers

Climate change has had a huge impact on farm operations in Western Canada for some time. Those shifting temperatures and weather patterns are also playing a key role in how future varieties are being developed. Grainews recently spoke with several prominent seed companies about new soybean varieties they have in the development pipeline and the […] Read more