Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Hot and humid conditions saw crops in Saskatchewan advance quickly during the week ended Monday, according to the latest provincial crop report — although the humidity has slowed haying. When humidity is high, cutting hay becomes more challenging and hay that is cut does not dry down as quickly, which can result in […] Read more

Saskatchewan crops advancing quickly

Drought conditions remain in Alberta, Saskatchewan
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — After copious amounts of precipitation alleviated the most severe drought conditions in Saskatchewan and Alberta, there were still some areas dealing with extreme dryness entering July, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. At the end of June, only 22 per cent of the Prairie region was classified in the Abnormally Dry (D0) to […] Read more

Planting progress picking up in Saskatchewan
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Overall spring planting across Saskatchewan reached 33 per cent complete as of Monday, according to the latest weekly crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture. Despite the good progress over the week, that’s still 20 points behind the five-year average. When compared to the excellent progress this time last year, the gap expands to 41 […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes
Cow-calf producers selling sooner than normal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at $275 delivered; the Alberta fed market has rallied $10-$12 over the past couple weeks. Secondly, U.S. feeder cattle prices have also rallied US$10-US$12 during the same time frame […] Read more

Hay-starved Prairies fertile ground for online scammers
At least $64,000 lost in Alberta alone, RCMP says
Reading Time: 2 minutes High demand, scarce supplies and rising prices for hay and other feeds due to this summer’s drought on the Prairies have made a market for online scammers, RCMP warn. The urgency driving such transactions may cause ranchers, farmers and farm workers to make purchases “without taking time to properly verify or research production sources,” Alberta […] Read more

CFA’s Hay West program up and running
Program website now online
Reading Time: 2 minutes A revival of the “Hay West” initiative, aimed at shipping feed from Eastern Canada to supplement drought-dented supplies in the West, has gone live. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.” Applicants interested in either supplying or […] Read more

Ontario MDS volunteers already moving hay west
Disaster response group spearheading program separate from CFA plan
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s in the spirit of co-operation in difficult times that a group of Ontario farmers have launched a hay donation program to assist their Saskatchewan counterparts. Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, a volunteer organization that provides assistance in the aftermath of disasters in Canada and the U.S., is organizing the latest iteration of Hay West […] Read more

Saskatchewan Crop Report: Hay cut progressing in dry weather
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm – Hot and dry conditions continued to affect most of Saskatchewan, but they caused little, if any hindrance to the province’s hay cut, according to the province’s weekly crop report released on July 29. Most hay producers have finished operations, with 15 per cent of the hay crop being cut and 75 per cent […] Read more

Manitoba triggers hay disaster benefit
Per-tonne rate lifted to cover feed, transport costs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba’s crop insurance agency is set to lift the per-tonne rate paid out on insured forage crops to help cover livestock producers’ bills to buy and truck in replacement feed. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC) on Thursday announced a 2021 hay disaster benefit to provide another $44 per tonne, for every tonne below coverage, to […] Read more

Pest Patrol: Canada fleabane in an organic hay crop
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: I have a lot of Canada fleabane in my organic hay crop. Is it a problem to feed? How do I get rid of it? It’s not great to have Canada fleabane in your hay crop. It’s an alternative host for plant feeding insects such as tarnished plant bug, and the leaves have irritated […] Read more