File photo of Highway 363 near Moose Jaw, Sask. (Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Spring road bans coming into effect across Prairies

MarketsFarm — Warming temperatures and melting snow across Western Canada may cause some disruptions to grain and livestock movement over the next few weeks as seasonal spring road restrictions come into effect across the Prairies. Annual spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads, in an effort to reduce the […] Read more

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Saskatchewan pushes crop insurance deadline to mid-April

'Logistical challenges' led to extension

Saskatchewan farmers will get an extra couple of weeks to apply for, cancel, reinstate or change their crop insurance contracts for 2022, due to holdups in the delivery of their application packages. That deadline, originally March 31, has now been extended to April 14, provincial Ag Minister David Marit and his federal counterpart Marie-Claude Bibeau […] Read more


Drought conditions in Canada at Feb. 28, 2022. (Map courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible

Southern Manitoba considered out of drought

MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that […] Read more

Fall rye flowering in south-central Manitoba. (Allan Dawson photo)

Rye in strong position going into 2022

MarketsFarm — Last summer’s drought sharply reduced yields of many crops across the Prairies, leaving multiple supply challenges and rising prices in the aftermath. Western Canadian rye, however, was largely left unscathed, which may bode well for the crop heading into 2022. Rye production came in at 473,000 tonnes for 2021-22, according to Statistics Canada […] Read more


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Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba growers hope timely rains follow snows

High N prices may favour pulse acres

MarketsFarm — As March 1 marked the start of meteorological spring, it feels like anything but that in southern Manitoba. One of the snowiest and coldest winters in years has been a mixed blessing for pulse growers, providing much-needed moisture for fields while also raising flood fears in some areas. Dennis Lange, a pulse specialist […] Read more

File photo of a Saskatchewan grid road in winter. (Daxus/iStock/Getty Images)

Environment Canada calls for colder-than-normal Prairie spring

MarketsFarm — Colder-than-normal temperatures are in the long-range forecast across most of the Canadian Prairies, according to the latest long-range outlook from Environment Canada. The latest seasonal forecast from the government agency, released Monday, calls for a 40-50 per cent chance of below-normal temperatures from March through May for most of the three Prairie provinces, […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan forage rainfall insurance to adjust for hot spells

SCIC also expanding crop roster for contract price option

Saskatchewan forage and corn growers whose crops are insured against below-normal rainfall can expect a beneficial bump starting this year if those crops get cooked in high heat. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Tuesday announced details for their 2022 crop insurance program — under which average coverage is expected to reach $405 per acre, […] Read more

File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Four factors to consider before going with peas

MarketsFarm — There are four factors to consider before deciding whether to plant dry peas this spring, according to Darryl Domitruk, executive director of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers at Carman, Man. The first is field selection, as peas need to be planted with less residuals such as nitrates, Domitruk said. “Pulses manufacture their own […] Read more


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Flooding in Manitoba hinges on coming spring melt

MarketsFarm — Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre (HFC) released an initial spring flood outlook report Friday citing the risk of moderate to major flooding in most the province’s southern basins. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said the amount of flooding will depend on weather conditions from now until spring melt. The HFC advised that, while […] Read more

One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council. (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

World soybean output, stocks estimates chopped

MarketsFarm — Downward revisions to soybean numbers stand out the most in February’s grain market report from the International Grains Council (IGC). Otherwise, the monthly estimates have minor alterations. The IGC cut its forecast on 2021-22 global soybean production by four per cent from its January report, bringing its projection to 353.1 million tonnes. The […] Read more


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