Agripod

The Canola Council of Canada is supporting the federal government as it joins the dispute settlement consultation with Mexico on agricultural biotechnology.

The consultation was initiated by the United States under the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement, and Canada joined as a third party.

Chris Davison is the Vice President of Stakeholder and Industry Relations for the Canola Council of Canada. He will share why groups like his support the governments actions.

 

New technology designed to help detect when cattle are ready to breed was tested at a field day. The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association hosted a SenseHub Cow-Calf Field Day, at D&N Ranch, just south of Peebles.

Dr. Samuel Wauer is the Associate Director of Cattle Veterinary Services with Merck Animal Health, the company that owns the technology. He explains how the SenseHub Cow Calf Monitoring System works.

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Hiring new agriculture researchers ensures progress continues. New scientists also bring new knowledge, skills, perspectives, and energy.

 

But having a PhD doesn’t automatically make someone a good researcher, just like a Class 1 license doesn’t automatically make someone a good trucker, or an agriculture degree doesn’t necessarily make a good farmer.

 

It’s often better if a new, fresh-faced recruit has a chance to work with a grizzled veteran before they retire.

 

Dr. Reynold Bergen is the Science Director for the Beef Cattle Research Council.

 

He says succession planning in research is as important as succession planning on the farm and having experienced researchers available to mentor new researchers helps shorten the runway to productivity and success. 

 

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A 24/7 agricultural mental health forum launched was launched at Canada's Farm Show in Regina.

 

Do More Agriculture launched a new peer-support mental health platform, Ag Talk.

Do More Ag Executive Director Megz Reynolds says the platform, which is powered by Togetherall, provides a safe and anonymous space where anyone over 16 can connect, share, and receive support from a community of peers who relate to their unique experiences. 

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Identifying forage efficient cattle was the focus of a study conducted by Dr. Greg Penner at the University of Saskatchewan.

The study focused its work on individual operations to compare cattle within a herd instead of across herds. it involves a comparison in their owned herds by weighing the cattle, assessing the body condition, and recording the day of calving.

Dr. Penner shares some of things things he learned through this process.

CN Rail reported a continued slowdown in grain movement for the month of May as farmers' focus shifted to seeding.

David Przednowek, the assistant vice president of grain for CN Rail says it's not a surprise adding that the majority of grain has already moved through the system.

He'll discuss grain movement, the impact of wildfires and how changes to labour regulations will impact the company.

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I’m away this week.  Here is one of my favourite episodes to hold you over until I get back.

The farming industry is constantly changing. New innovations are being developed to make farms more efficient. A research project involving at Naicam, a Saskatchewan consulting company and the University of Regina is looking for a way to reduce environmental impact and save money.

Cory Willness of CropPro Consulting will talk about SWAT BOX, a data collection sensor and how information from it will be used to generate maps that will help farmers selectively apply herbicides

Everyone needs to eat. That's why Canadians and Canada’s governments should not take farming and food for granted.

That was the message from Kerri Holland with University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy who prepared a report on Canada's Food Security.

Holland says food security is vital and government policy must reflect the essential service agriculture provides for the country. She says there will be dire consequences if farmers don't get the support they need.

 

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California Proposition 12 is an initiative that sets new standards for space allowance for raising of animals that produce the pork sold in that state.

It has raised concerns in Canada because not only will this apply to farmers in California but to all farmers in North America who sell pork into that state. Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl says the issue is now being brought to the attention of the Canadian government concerning the impacts of that ballot on the pork sector.

 

Most people are aware of how important agriculture to the entire Canadian economy. In fact, Economic Development Regina (EDR) decided to take that thought a step further and quantify its significance.

EDR President and CEO Chris Lane says the report is called Saskatchewan’s Annual Megaproject: Spring Seeding, which uses data from a range of sources to understand the impact of this investment and examine the economic factors at play for producers as the crop year progresses.

Lane will share the significance of the $11-billion spent during seeding season alone.

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Hundreds of Canadian scientists and researchers were in Saskatchewan for a conference marking the conclusion of the seven-year Global Water Futures program.

Global Water Futures was established with a $78 million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. The University of Saskatchewan was one of four leading institutions with the others including Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier, and McMaster; all located in Ontario.

Dr. John Pomeroy is the Global Water Futures director and the Canada Research Chair in Climate Change and Water Resources at the University of Saskatchewan.

 

He will talk about the water research that was agriculture related.

 

Tracking grain movement across Canada is now easier than ever.

This month Statistics Canada released the Grain Supply Chain Dashboard, an interactive map that details, among other things, segments of the railway network, the number of cars, and a car's last known location.

The Dashboard was developed in partnership with the Ag Transport Coalition.

Greg Northey with Pulse Canada, one of the members of the Coalition, says it's all about transparency.

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Healthy feet and hooves are extremely important for bulls, especially heading into breeding season.

Dr. Chris Clark at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan talks about what to look for to prevent hoof problems in bulls and cows and the ground-breaking equipment being used at the Vet College to trim cattle hooves and treat foot problems.

The Do More Agriculture Foundation announced the launch of its 2023 campaign to raise awareness about mental health in agriculture.

The campaign addresses the stressors in agriculture such as weather uncertainty, market instability, and financial pressures.

Executive Director Megz Reynolds will share the details of the ‘Talk It Out’ campaign that encourages conversations about mental health, promotes resources and support for those struggling with mental health challenges, and help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

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The first revision of the Prairie Nutrient Removal Calculator in more than 20 years is now available online for producers and agronomists.

The updated version covers more crops, 15 in total, as well micro-nutrients boron, zinc, and copper. It was a three-year process covering 2020, 2021 and 2022

Dr. Fran Walley, along with Dr. Rich Farrell are the research scientists with the University of Saskatchewan leading the effort. They'll talk about their work.

Several government departments, consultations, and decisions are converging to clear a path for gene-editing technology to be approved as a breeding technique for conventional crops.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would move forward with Part 5 of the Seed Regulations, in line with Health Canada’s decision a year ago.

That decision set out that gene-editing was considered “non-novel” and would be treated as such through the regulatory system.

Jim Everson with the Canola Council of Canada will talk about the updated guidance and how this will be beneficial to farmers.

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Wild pigs are an invasive species that damage crops, and the environment. As well they are at high risk for the spread of disease. That's why the Governments of Canada and Manitoba, in collaboration with Manitoba’s agricultural sector, launched the Squeal on Pigs campaign to inform the public about the damage caused by wild pigs and what to watch for in order to report sightings.

The coordinator for Squeal on Pigs Dr. Wayne Lees says the response from the public has been exceptional.

Farmers are being advised to make sure their agricultural insurance is up to date.

Farm equipment and out-buildings have been appreciating in value recently, and replacing them in the event of a loss, could become costly for those who don't have proper insurance.

Blair McClinton is the Farm Segment Director for SGI Canada.

He'll talk about importance of reviewing those insurance policies.

 

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More than ever consumers are curious about how and where their food is produced. Amy te Plate-Church is the Director of the U.S. based Center for Food Integrity.

She says consumer trends and developments in consumer perceptions have far reaching implications for farmers. She says some of the factor’s consumers consider when making purchasing decisions are changing.

The General Manager of Manitoba Pork is calling on governments to adopt an incentive rather than regulatory based approach to achieving environmental targets and sustainability goals.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's has completed consultations on a new sustainable agricultural strategy. Cam Dahl wrote an article for Manitoba community newspapers and Manitoba Pork's Chop Talk newsletter looking at the issue of sustainability. He says we are at a crossroads in terms of government policy, especially when it comes to the whole question of sustainability and environmental impact.

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