Agripod

The United States confirmed it was not going to renew the Canada-US-Mexico agreement in its current form for another 16 years. Farm Credit Canada is one of many groups paying extra attention to the July 1st deadline.

In preparation, FCC released a report in June on what would happen if the agreement were not renewed. FCC Vice-president and Chief Economist Craig Johnston says included in the report are the impacts U.S. tariffs have had on Gross Domestic Product and business confidence over the last year, as well as how it could impact the Bank of Canada interest rate.

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A national cattle group is not shocked by the U.S. deciding not to renew the Canada-U.S,-Mexico agreement on trade in its current version.

Tyler Fulton - President of the Canadian Cattle Association - says this is what he expected to happen.

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The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes meat as nutritious, and a food item Americans should be prioritizing at every meal. The document is published every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and serves as the official blueprint for federal nutrition policies, education programs, and food assistance initiatives.

Dr. Ashley Johnson says since the 1980s, recommendations have tended toward reducing meat consumption and replacing it with plant-based proteins. 

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Dr. Brian Rossnagel, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre, will be inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame later this year.

Rossnagel transformed barley and oat production during his 35-year career. His prolific breeding program developed more than 100 varieties of barley and oats for feed, forage, food, and malting markets. Rossnagel says these varieties were widely adopted by producers in Western Canada, as 
well as other countries. 

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Visitors from across Canada and Switzerland travelled to Northeast Saskatchewan to learn more about sustainable agriculture practices. The group, Nature United, is the Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization with more than a million members.
Kris Babbings, the president of Collective Impact, lead the tour.

He talks about the importance of how the tour gave the guests a perspective of why some agricultural practices are done the way they are.

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Manitoba's pork producers are welcoming Canada’s new African Swine Fever zoning agreement with Japan.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Japan have announced an agreement on the mutual recognition of containment zones in the event of an outbreak of ASF, an internationally reportable disease that has devastated swine herds around the world.

Cam Dahl, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork, says the detection of ASF in Canada would be catastrophic.

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Provisions will be included in the U.S. House of Representatives version of the Farm, Food and National Security Act to address feral swine.

The bill now awaits action in the Senate, where the Senate Agriculture Committee is drafting its own version.National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys at World Pork Expo in Des Moines, says feral swine have become a real problem that needs to be addressed.

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Difficult weather and soil conditions are also causing problems for the Saskatchewan farmers involved in Canadian Foodgrains Bank Projects. Rick Block is the Foodgrains Bank representative in Saskatchewan and is the point person for the various community grow projects. 

He'll provide an update on the important work they do to support food security programs around the world

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Manitoba Pork is calling for the creation of strategic plan for dealing with trade.

General manager Cam Dahl says in the wake of the recent U.S. election, the federal government needs to develop a national strategy for agriculture and food trade particularly as Canada heads into the 2026 review of the Canada U.S. Mexico Agreement.

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Protein Industries Canada is looking for companies that can blend pulses AND cereals to create new food products and ingredients.

PIC Senior Director of Programs Lisa Campbell says the purpose of calling for Expression of Interests (EOI) is to meet the consumer demand for more innovative ways to incorporate protein and fibre into their diets.

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The planned closure of the Lacombe Research and Development Centre places Canadian research programing at risk.

In January, as part of a broader federal mandate to reduce the size of the public service, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced the imminent closure of several research facilities.

Dr. Stuart Smyth, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan says limiting federal government swine research capability to a single location puts swine research at risk and jeopardizes the global competitiveness of Canadian pork.

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A panel of producers, veterinarians and researchers is now reviewing 42 submissions received in response to a January call for research proposals to enhance the response to H5N1 Influenza.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says H5N1 is an Influenza A virus normally associated with avian species but, since 2024, that virus has been found in dairy cattle, sheep and goats and in October 2024 the infection was identified in backyard swine.

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The conflict that has affected the movement of goods through the Straight of Hormuz has resulted in reduced fertilizer availability leading to reduced grain production and shortages of food. As the result of trade friction and global conflict Canadian farmers are facing increased uncertainty.

Florian Possberg says the pork sector has enjoyed relatively low feed costs but there is some real concern over grain prices.

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The announcement was made a few months ago . . . but the official groundbreaking ceremony was held at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Canola Breeding Centre of Innovation expansion.

That centre is located a few kilometres northeast of Saskatoon—-just off Highway 41. Brent Collins, the Head of Seeds and Traits for BASF Agricultural Solutions, the $27-million dollars expansion will solidify Saskatoon's reputation as a global centre for canola breeding.

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Corteva Agriscience announced its new brand, Trusource™ wheat, a high fiber durum that can help meet consumers’ needs for increased dietary fiber through use in high-volume foods such as pasta.
Trusource wheat will be available to food companies to trial in product development and evaluation in late 2024, with North American commercialization plans for farmers to be announced in the coming years.

Tyler Groeneveld is the North American Director for value added ingredients at Corteva Agriscience.
He says it’s important because fiber is the most under-consumed macronutrient and there is a direct correlation between low fiber and chronic inflammation, leading to many human health issues.

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Hot summers may be great for your time at the lake, but very hot temperatures can cause stress in crops, especially flowering canola.

Curtis Rempel, vice president of crop production and innovation with the Canola Council of Canada says when the temperatures are in the 30's, it's especially hard on flowering canola plants.

The crop at flowering is when the pollen is produced, the canola gets pollinated, and seeds start forming. When you have high heat levels, when the crop is starting to flower, you get pollen dying because of the heat. Then the flower does not get pollinated, and it gets blasted

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Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) launches a new strategic plan with a new focus on priorities with the greatest impact on pulse growers in Saskatchewan, looking ahead to 2030. 

SPG Executive Director Carl Potts explains the plan is built on direction from its ninemember Board of Directors-made up of farmers. The new plan highlights four key focus areas.

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The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is urging rural residents to run for municipal councils and truly make a difference in their communities and make a difference.

SARM President Ray Orb says many RMs have vacancies on councils, and this presents an opportunity for individuals to get involved with the issues that directly affect daily life for the people in rural Saskatchewan. SARM has created a new video to discuss some common misconceptions around rural 
representation.

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Cargill announced its newest canola processing facility west of Regina is in operation. Jeff Vassart the President of Cargill Canada says in the months leading up to this week, they were already taking in canola as part of the commissioning process.

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If you want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes operation of a farm, then Saskatchewan Open Farm Days might just be for you.

Coordinator Ashley Stone says the event is set for this summer and last year saw over 4,000 visits.

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