Reading Time: 2 minutes Colorado State University — Extreme, prolonged drought conditions in grasslands and shrublands would greatly limit the long-term health of crucial ecosystems that cover nearly half the planet, says new research published in the journal Science. “Climate change is bringing more severe and longer-lasting droughts to many locations around the world. Some ecosystems have shown resilience […] Read more
Prolonged drought causes unprecedented productivity loss: Study
Livestock Tax Deferral regions announced for drought-affected producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cattle producers in large swaths of Western Canada and northwest Ontario will qualify for Livestock Tax Deferral in 2025, federal agriculture minister Heath MacDonald announced on Monday.
Governments offer aid to drought-affected Manitoba livestock producers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba and the federal governement are teaming up to support Manitoba livestock producers who are being hit hard by drought conditions.
Research focuses on drought tolerant alfalfa
Yellow flowers could help scientists breed new varieties that cope with dry conditions
Reading Time: 2 minutes Exotic alfalfa varieties that produce white, blue, cream and yellow flowers are being looked at by plant breeders to improve the crop's drought tolerance.
Importance placed on cow herd size questioned
Some in the cattle sector don’t think policy should focus on expanding herd; others say fewer cows limit check-off revenue
Reading Time: 3 minutes The number of cows in the provincial herd is not necessarily the best measure of a successful industry, yet that is the focus of public policy, says the Sask. Stock Growers Assoc.
‘Amber waves of grain’ recede in America’s heartland as wheat farmers struggle
Midwestern farmers abandoning wheat crops as profits recede, weather challenges
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Great Plains have long been celebrated for the “amber waves of grain” in the popular hymn “America the Beautiful.” The region’s states produce most of the U.S.-grown crop of hard red winter wheat, favored by bakers for bread. But with prices hovering around $5 (C$6.86) per bushel, U.S. wheat farmers have reached an inflection point, with many forced to either lose money, feed wheat to cattle or kill off the crop.
Barren fields, dry wells: after war, drought ravages Syrian farms
Digging wells adds costs as harvests fail; many farmers have heavy debts, want assistance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Syrian farmers hoped for some reprieve after Islamist rebels ended Assad' 24 years of autocratic rule in December, but a devastating drought and continued water theft mean their crops are still dying, their pears and plums withering on the branch.
Drought developing in northern Saskatchewan agricultural region
Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert
Reading Time: 2 minutes In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.
Transition to drought expected to be swifter this year
Fractions of a degree of change in ocean tempartures impacts weather patterns for ag producers in caring for their livestock and crops
Reading Time: 4 minutes Agriculture across the globe is closely linked to La Niña and El Niño when it comes to setting the weather stage for the next growing season.
Return of US drought delays cattle-herd rebuilding, hurting Tyson Foods
Reading Time: 2 minutes The return of drought in U.S. cattle-producing areas is delaying ranchers' plans to expand production after the nation's herd shrank to its smallest level in seven decades, farmers and analysts said.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
