Better Farming Prairies

A Manitoba organization dedicated to providing mental health assistance to the province’s ag community received support from the provincial and federal governments. At Ag Days in Brandon on Jan. 16, Premier Wab Kinew announced the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) would receive $450,000 over three years from Manitoba and Ottawa through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. It’s “important to have specialized mental health resources available specifically for producers and their families, and why we are proud to partner with the federal government on this key initiative,” the premier said, Pembina Valley Online reported. Representatives with the MFWP appreciate the support. This funding will allow the organization to expand its footprint in the community, said Gerry Friesen, the MFWP’s chief administrative officer and one of its founding members. “On Jan. 1 of this year we expanded our programming to providing counselling sessions to farm employees,” he told Farms.com from Ag Days on Jan. 18. “Now we can look at bigger and better things because we know there’s a large ag community out there who require support.” What exactly further programming looks like isn’t known yet because the funding announcement came on short notice.

Two farms in Western Canada are trying to move forward following barn fires. On Jan. 13, a fire destroyed a dairy barn and killed 61 cows and five calves at a farm in Leduc County, Alta. The fire occurred at the Maskoske family farm, a multi-generational dairy operation. Firefighters from Leduc and Millet received calls about the fire around 2:30pm on Jan. 13, CityNews reports. But by the time crews arrived, flames were fully engulfing the barn. And frigid conditions made fighting the fire even more difficult. “The extreme cold temperatures experienced on Saturday led to the freezing of hoses, nozzles and fire apparatus, making it extremely difficult to fight the fire,” a Leduc County official told CityNews. The family is appreciative of those who tried to help, and thankful no one was injured. “We are so very grateful everyone is okay, we want to extend our deepest thank you to our community, family & friends that came that day to try (to) help us do anything we could to save our cows & barn, unfortunately nothing could be done,” Ryan Maskoske posted on his Facebook page.

Olymel is laying off 100 workers from its Red Deer, Alta. pork processing facility. “At this time, 30 temporary layoff notices were delivered last week, and another 30 temporary layoffs are planned for this week,” spokesperson Audrey Giboulet told the Red Deer Advocate on Monday. Managers at the plant also announced the facility was overstaffed by about 200 people, the Red Deer Advocate reported. To support employees, the company is implementing an early retirement incentive program. Workers over 60 years old with at least 10 years of service as of Jan. 30 would be eligible for this program. Four people have already signed up. Any further layoffs will depend on the success of the early retirement program. And affected employees could be called back to work. Production and processing challenges are cited as reasons for the layoffs. In May 2023, for example, Olymel announced reductions at five production facilities in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. This reduced the company’s sow herd by almost 30 per cent.

An ag mental health organization in Alberta is asking farmers to participate in an online survey. AgKnow wants producers to take the survey for three reasons: The responses ensure mental health programs align with the realities of Alberta farms, The responses help create resources that resonate with daily challenges, and The survey helps foster a supportive mental health environment across agriculture. “As mental health programs begin to roll out across Canada, your voice becomes crucial in shaping these initiatives,” the organization’s website says. The survey consists of nine questions. They include identifying if someone in an individual household has participated in mental health counselling, how important an individual feels it is to have access to counsellors who understand agriculture and identifying barriers to receiving mental health support. Participants can also choose to print a copy of their answers after the survey.

ino and Abhinesh Gopal; Photo by: Jodie Aldred North American hog producers live and die by the gyrations in hog futures. The year 2023 was not the kindest to hog futures and to hog producer margins. Futures reacted sharply to the developments in the US hog/pork sector. The trend in 2023 had been that of a shrinking breeding herd. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been reporting on a shrinking US hog breeding herd that could break below the industry’s comfort level of six million head for the first time in a long time. Canada’s hog herd as a whole is expected to shrink in 2024 on account of reduced Canadian packing capacity that shrank in 2023 due to plant closures and continued labour availability issues. Their issues are likely to continue in 2024. US domestic hog and pork demand was a sore spot in 2023, and that too is contributing to the Canadian and US hog herd shrinkage. Domestic demand continued to be the missing link in 2023 when exports did a lot of the heavy lifting, especially with Mexico buying record amounts, as domestic consumers preferred spending more on beef despite record-high prices. We spoke previously about the surprise in the September USDA ‘Hogs & Pigs’ report update in terms of higher-than-expected US hog inventory. This was on account of increased productivity, especially due to better mitigation of diseases from the hog herd. With a much healthier herd, as the big integrators reduce old sows from production, you have a recipe for more supplies at lower prices that result in losses for hog producers despite lower feed prices. The very big hog integrators control two-thirds of the total sows in the US. So, when they lose on the hog production side, they make it up on the packer side. That is causing losses to continue as they are reducing less productive sows and replacing them with more productive ones. Better health has surely been a key driver. The increase in productivity gains (pigs saved per litter), feed efficiencies, and less disease offset the continuous labour challenges of 2021 and 2022. This put US producers back on their long-term growth trend for litter size, and that trend should continue in 2024. The average US pig litter size from September 2007 to September 2023 grew at an annual growth rate of over 1.5 percent. Also, the continuous increase of the US pig crop despite farrowing remaining stable over the last 28 years reflects the productivity increases in the industry. The quarterly USDA ‘Hogs and Pigs’ reports always garner keen market attention, but since the latter half of 2023, it has been watched more closely for more surprises. Given the losses producers faced over the last two years and are likely to face in 2024, resurgent producers are likely to be forced to trim the breeding herd again in 2024. According to estimates by the Iowa State University economics department, a normal farrow-to-finish US hog producer would have faced losses in 10 months during the 12 months from November 2022 to October 2023, with the hefty losses averaging US$21 per hog per month. Hog farmers are likely to have been forced to liquidate sows in the winter, which is expected to cause lower hog and pork supplies in 2024. But this has been talked about repeatedly, and it’ll need to be monitored closely to see how it impacts the m

A forage breeder with more than 40 years of experience is headed to the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. Bruce Coulman, whose time in ag includes head of the plant sciences department at the University of Saskatchewan and as a research scientist with AAFC, will be enshrined during a ceremony in Saskatoon this April with five other inductees. The inductees were revealed during the Western Canadian Crop Production Show. “I was quite surprised and very humbled,” Coulman told Farms.com. “I know a number of folks who have been inducted, so to be included among them is a great honour.” His interest in breeding and crop varieties started in high school when he worked with a crop science program. In his professional career, he developed 24 novel forage varieties in nine different species. In some cases, they were the first of their kind. A hybrid grass stands out as a key accomplishment, Coulman said. “Smooth bromegrass has been around a long time and is quite a good hay species, but it doesn’t regrow very well after first cut,” he said. “Meadow brome is a little different that it doesn’t yield as much but it regrows really well. We made crosses between these two types of bromegrasses to combine the characteristics of the grasses and that’s been very popular among beef produce

Two Sask. ag organizations will unite later in 2024. On Jan. 10, SaskCanola and SaskFlax announced the two organizations will officially amalgamate in August 2024 after successful votes at their respective annual general meetings. Farmers voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of joining forces. “The collaborative efforts are expected to streamline operations, enhance research initiatives, and provide a more cohesive voice for oilseed growers in the province,” Tracy Broughton, executive director, said in a statement. The next step for the two organizations is to consult with the Agri-Food Council. The independent council supervises and monitors ag agencies in the province. Part of its duties include approving agency orders and assisting groups in establishing new agencies. Boards and staff from each organization will remain in place until the amalgamation takes effect.

Saskatchewan's farmers are not just cultivating crops; they're cultivating a greener future. A recent study by the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) conducted in 2022, highlights this remarkable achievement. It compared the carbon footprint of five key Canadian crops - canola, non-durum wheat, field peas, durum wheat, and lentils, the study found Saskatchewan's methods emit significantly less greenhouse gases than their global counterparts. Dr. Steve Webb, GIFS CEO, emphasized, "These impressive results are driven by the widespread adoption in Saskatchewan of agricultural innovations and sustainable farming practices. " The study illustrates a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to practices like reduced tillage, herbicide-tolerant canola, variable-rate fertilizer application, and a robust crop rotation system. For instance, Saskatchewan's canola production has a 67% lower carbon footprint than the global average. Saskatchewan's approach to agriculture also includes nitrogen-fixing pulse crops and no-till farming, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of field peas by over 95% compared to other regions. For lentils, the carbon footprint is astoundingly 130% lower. The study's findings also account for soil carbon sequestration, showcasing Saskatchewan's smallest carbon footprint across all crop types. Agriculture Minister David Marit praised these achievements, saying, “Saskatchewan is one of the most sustainable producers of safe and nutritious food.” This study reaffirms USask's century-long dedication to agricultural research and innovation. "USask has been advancing Saskatchewan's agricultural research and production for a century with innovative science and sustainable policies. We're proud of this study's results and are confident that our faculty and students will keep pioneering solutions for future environmental and agricultural challenges," remarked Baljit Singh, Vice-President of Research at USask. It provides a detailed understanding of the contributions of agronomic practices to sustainable food production, shaping future science-based regulations and policies.

Syngenta is bringing two new herbicides to pulse producers in Western Canada for the 2024 season. One is called Nelatic. “It’s a new herbicide for use in field peas,” Jon Cressman, product lead for herbicides at Syngenta Canada, told Farms.com. “It brings together two established (active ingredients) in a pre-mix and also gives Syngenta a product in this space to round our pulse portfolio.” The active ingredients are imazamox, a Group 2, and bentazon, a Group 6. Together they help control weeds like barnyard grass, green foxtail, kochia and some weeds resistant to Group 2 products. The recommended rate is 0.73 L/ha + 2L/ha nitrogen source (UAN 28%). Nelatic is registered for use in the Prairies and the interior of B.C., including the Peace River region, its label says. And it can also be used in dry faba beans, soybeans and other crops. The herbicide is registered as a post-emerge product, Cressman said.

lways been a big believer in the idea that the more people work together, the more we can achieve. As a fifth-generation farmer raised in rural Ontario, I grew up with the belief that it’s always important to give back to the community you’re involved with, whether through service clubs, volunteerism, donating your skills and abilities to worthy causes, or stepping up to participate in leadership roles. That spirit of involvement and collaboration also drives my husband Dave and me in our farm business near the southwestern Ontario town of West Lorne, where we grow crops, raise cattle, and sell beef from our farm directly to consumers. I spent time as a municipal councillor in West Elgin before becoming involved as a director with the Elgin Federation of Agriculture, where I soon became the organization’s Vice President and Chair of Land Use Planning, as well as a mentor to young female farmers. Late last fall, I took on my newest community involvement leadership role when I was elected as a Director-at-Large for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). I was inspired to put my name forward for the position by the example of OFA’s recently retired president, Peggy Brekveld, who so ably led the organization through the very tough pandemic years. Stepping forward to lead is never easy, particularly for women, but she was a strong yet compassionate advocate for agriculture and dedicated to the ideas of collaboration and building bridges between rural and urban communities. I also decided to run for an OFA director position because I feel strongly about the future of agriculture. As a farmer who sells food directly to consumers, I spend a lot of time answering the public’s questions in person and online about how food is produced and where it comes from, and I’m deeply familiar with the critical roles that farming plays in so many ways right across our society. It’s also important that agriculture’s voice is heard on major issues like land use planning and farmland preservation, for example, so we can ensure that our ability to produce food, fuel, fibre, and flowers here in Ontario isn’t lost forever. A key part of that also lies in investment in critical infrastructure for rural Ontario. This means well-maintained roads and bridges, but it’s also about access to affordable energy like natural gas as well as social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, healthcare, and community services. Better access to high-speed internet and fewer gaps in cellular coverage are also essential. Farmers are continually encouraged to modernize their systems and adopt new technologies, but in many parts of rural Ontario, the much-needed infrastructure to support that innovation simply isn’t there or can’t support the demand. It can be hard to use precision agriculture tools when the cell coverage needed for GPS fields isn’t available or the Internet service isn’t good enough to support the technology needed to remotely monitor livestock. These are issues that the OFA has long worked on, and progress is definitely being made, but I welcome the opportunity, in my new role, to continue to advocate for positive change for farmers right across the province. I&

Photo by Katie Bernotsky on Unsplash Alveo Technologies, Inc., an Alameda, California-based global leader in molecular sensing and diagnostics with its proprietary technology platform, has announced it is working with experts and leaders in the poultry industry to launch a rapid, accurate, in-the-field multiplex panel to test for all relevant strains of avian influenza, initially focusing on Group , , , and . To help co-develop and distribute the tests, Alveo has partnered with industry leaders x-OvO, Royal GD, and Pharmsure International Ltd. Alveo said that it expects to release its first product in the poultry diagnostic space in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) within the first half of 2024. The avian flu test will be Alveo’s first product to launch into the agricultural sector since Alveo announced its open platform and partnering strategy last year. In addition to the avian flu, Alveo is partnering to develop test panels for many other pathogens impacting the agriculture industry. “We’ve been working closely with Alveo in a deep collaboration to develop these highly valuable assays for Avian Influenza,” said Wim Kieftenbeld, Director of Business Development at Royal GD. “It’s a significant challenge, where two parties bring in their expertise. Alveo has a lot of knowledge in the field of LAMP technology and human diagnostics, and Royal GD brings in its expertise in the field of veterinary diseases and diagnostics. Together, we’ve been able to achieve incredible results with an assay that accurately and rapidly delivers highly specific results at the point of need.” The threat highly pathogenic avian flu poses to the poultry industry In the most recent season, more than 68 million birds have been affected, surpassing the record set in the 2015 season, which caused up to $4 billion in economic damage. Recent outbreaks in California and Alabama required the culling of nearly 700,000 birds. “According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, highly pathogenic avian flu has affected about 11 million domestic birds during the current outbreak, and, in the US, 11.4 million were affected in December alone,” said Shaun Holt, Chief Executive Officer of Alveo Technologies. “Avian flu presents a serious threat to the poultry industry, and the first step to controlling its spread is detection. Alveo’s ruggedized testing platform gives farmers and authorities the ability to perform highly accurate tests in the field to get rapid results so they can take immediate action.” The need for a new testing paradigm Alveo said that it is leading the development of diagnostics at the intersection of animal and human health to proactively manage disease epidemics and prevent future potential pandemics. The earlier bot

The Grain and General Services Union (GSU) has suspended strike action for more than 400 Viterra employees as the union considers the company’s latest offer. Viterra presented GSU with its most recent offer on Jan. 5, the same day 436 Viterra employees were scheduled to begin a strike. Viterra also considered locking out employees if a deal couldn’t be reached. The offer is a four-year agreement that increases pay by 13.25 per cent over the length of the contract. GSU asked for a 5 per cent increase in the first year of the agreement while Viterra countered with a 4.5 per cent offer. But in year two, Viterra would provide a 3.75 per cent pay increase compared to the 3.25 per cent increase GSU asked for. Both sides presented 2.5 per cent increases in the final two years of the agreement. “We believe that we have provided an offer that is fair and reasonable, one that takes into account the needs of our employees, while balancing the needs of our business through long-term labour stability,” Jordan Jakubowski, VP of human resources for Viterra Canada, said in a statement. “Throughout this process, we have been committed to bargaining in good faith, in keeping with our long history of working fairly and respectfully with our employees.” Viterra employees will vote on the offer and GSU will count the ballots on Jan. 19.

Photo by David Holifield on Unsplash The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has written to the Honourable Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance) regarding the proposed changes to the () filing requirements outlined in the . So why are farmers so concerned about a housing tax, and just what exactly is the ? The is a one percent tax that is applied to the value of vacant or underused housing. According to the new legislation, anyone who isn’t a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, as well as private corporations and partnerships that own residential housing, must file an return, even if they don’t have to pay the tax itself. This doesn’t just affect homeowners in the suburbs or cities—houses, condos, —it also affects farms. While this tax was meant to gain some financial grift from urban homes, condos, and apartments purchased for investment purposes—which includes foreign investment—while investors wait for the market to go up, allow the residence to remain empty or not be utilized to its full extent. On a farm, there’s usually a residence. For farm corporations and farm partnerships where a residence may not be used, we come to the issue. Canadian farm business partners and farm corporations owning residential property are considered 'affected owners.” As an affected owner of residential property, they will need to file for exemption from having to pay the or to calculate the they owe. The return and election form must be filed for each property owned by an affected owner in a calendar year; even if the affected owner qualifies for an exemption. And vacant residence or not, the legislation said that farmers have to file a separate return every year by April 30 for each property a farm partner or a farm corporation owns. It’s more bureaucratic red tape that farmers have to be concerned about. At least that’s how things were presented originally. Changes to the have been proposed, and the OFA is fully behind them. As the OFA noted, it is especially pleased to see the proposal to make “specified Canadian corporations”, partners of “specified Canadian partnerships” and trustees of “specified Canadian trusts”, “excluded owners.” OFA wrote that it is also pleased to see a reduction in the non-filing fees from $5,000–$10,000 to $1,000–$2,000. While these proposed changes would address Canadian farmers’ concerns moving forward, the proposal states that the proposed changes to filing requirements would be f

Image by Christos Giakkas from Pixabay McCain Foods is certainly not a company accustomed to sitting on its laurels. In continuation of its commitment to drive innovation and advance new technologies in agriculture, McCain Foods has launched Presia Ag Insights, a newly formed business unit wholly owned by the company that is a global leader in frozen foods. According to the company, Presia is the result of a decade of collaboration to develop digital technologies, supporting farmers in building resiliency within their operations. With Presia, farmers and crop-sourcing partners can better evaluate and predict crop yields, optimize harvest timing, and enhance on-farm sustainability practices. Specializing in satellite-based, data-driven intelligence that can transform the way humans understand crop growth, Presia will accelerate the future of farming and foster the monitoring and adoption of regenerative agricultural practices by stakeholders across the agriculture sector. 'Launching Presia advances McCain’s innovative agriculture agenda, providing an opportunity to build off the expertise we have developed in potatoes to offer leading capabilities to other food businesses and farmers,” stated Peter Dawe, the Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at McCain Foods. “It is driving data intelligence that is helping us change the way we grow a potato.” Presia is the evolution of McCain’s acquisition of the predictive crop portfolio from Resson in June 2022. Resson is a bioinformatics and data analytics company that has modernized crop management practices by integrating vision intelligence into farm equipment. However, even before the purchase by McCain, Presia had already been working with them for some seven years, providing them with a deeper insight into in-season potato growth across the globe. According to Presica, it provides McCain with an advanced prediction of yield, a view of canopy development, and regular measurements of key regenerative agriculture metrics. It deploys potato-, variety-, and McCain-specific models to ensure insights are relevant to unique business needs. With this knowledge, McCain leverages Presia’s analytics to arm its potato growers with deeper insight into their fields, which helps them make key supply decisions. For McCain, that predictive crop portfolio includes vision-intelligence-based technologies that better leverage field data and satellite imagery to assess more accurately the status of a potato crop. “Presia supports our farmer and crop-sourcing partners in building resiliency within their operations and strengthening decision-making capabilities through the use of satellite imaging and machine learning,” commented Tyler Hennick, Managing Director of Presia. “We are proud to offer existing and new customers more frequent and accurate readings on their in-season crop performance within and across entire fields and regions.” Based in Ontario and eastern Canada, the Presia team is comprised primaril