Organic sector launches national action plan

National organic groups want to get a bigger space at the table when it comes to federal policies and the work of departments like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The goal is part of a proposed national organic action plan launched in September. Organic industry groups say their products are gaining popularity among consumers and government[...]

Prices strong despite fewer cattle on offer

Cattle prices have slipped a little but remain strong, according to Kirk Kiesman of Ashern Auction Mart. He said the number and quality of cattle at auction have both fallen in the last few weeks. “The market was still pretty good overall. The run is definitely getting smaller as most of the cattle in Manitoba[...]





Economic outlook marks hazards ahead

Farm Credit Canada predicts a bit of a rocky road ahead for Canadian farmers, with input prices high, commodity prices low and interest rates not expected to drop in the short term. “The sentiment of the industry is not the greatest right now,” said Desmond Sobool, FCC’s director of economics and deputy chief economist, speaking[...]

Grain markets slowly eroding

Prices may keep rising at the grocery store, but the general trend in all of the major grains and oilseeds continues to grind lower, with mid-January wheat bids hitting some of their weakest levels of the past few years. World supplies: Wheat is grown around the world, and supplies are more than sufficient to meet[...]





Farm organization takes aim at noxious weeds

Keystone Agricultural Producers will set its sights on two emerging noxious weeds: waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. A resolution brought forward by University of Manitoba agriculture diploma students during KAP’s March advisory council meeting March 27 aims to give more support to farmers to beat back Manitoba’s growing problem. Why it matters: Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth[...]

Organic farmers more likely to leave space for biodiversity, study says

Organic farmers leave more semi-natural vegetation in their fields than their conventional counterparts, according to a recent study out of Dalhousie University. Out of 71 organic and conventional field pairs mapped in a Saskatchewan-based study, the organic fields contained just over nine per cent mixed perennial, or semi-natural, vegetation whereas conventional fields contained about six per[...]