Dawson: Time to assess crops for frost, water damage

Each day it gets easier to assess how much damage frost and excessive moisture did to Manitoba crops over the Victoria Day long weekend. Farmers can expect their soybeans to emerge this week because of warm and sunny conditions -- and that germination will probably suffer in some soybean fields. "I'm expecting to see a[...]

Record Prairie lentil area likely

CNS Canada -- Canadian lentil acres are expected to rise considerably this spring, with most of the increase in red lentils, according to industry participants. While the acres are going up, the opposite is likely in prices. "Everybody is looking for an increase (in lentil acres)," said Darren Lemieux of Simpson Seeds at Moose Jaw,[...]


Prairie forage crops to benefit from early spring weather

CNS Canada -- Forage crops in Western Canada are in a much better place this spring compared to a year ago, as spring's early arrival will benefit crop development. The milder winter was also beneficial in preserving forage supplies, with feed stocks adequate to good in many regions, said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage specialist[...]

Farm business tax credits on tap in Manitoba budget

Expansions and extensions for tax credits of use to Manitoba farmers and small agribusinesses were laid out Thursday in the province's latest budget. Finance Minister Greg Dewar's plan calls for an expansion of the province's small business venture capital tax credit, broadening its list of eligible businesses to include "non-traditional farming" ventures, as well as[...]


Klassen: Expansionary activity drives feeder market higher

I know this may sound redundant, but western Canadian feeder cattle traded $2 to $5 higher last week and in some cases as much as $10 above week-ago levels. Strong gains were noted across the Prairies on all weight categories. Feather-light steer calves under 500 pounds touched the magical $400 level in eastern regions; 700-lb.[...]

Some farmers already seeding in southern Alberta

CNS Canada -- Some farmers in southern Alberta are seeding earlier than normal this spring, thanks to some recent warmer weather. "Some guys are just starting to turn a wheel in southern Alberta," Harry Brook, crop specialist with Alberta's provincial Ag-Info Centre in Stettler, said Thursday. Soil temperatures are still not very warm, so more[...]


Klassen: Feeder cattle jump $4 to $6 in West

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices jumped $4-$6 over the past week as strengthening feeding margins enhanced buying interest for replacement cattle. Noticeable gains were noted in eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba early in the week and Alberta markets followed the charge higher. Cattle buyers in southwestern Manitoba reported mixed steers averaging 900 pounds readily trading from[...]

Top court's dismissal halts farmers' suit over CWB assets

The bulk of a proposed class action by four Prairie farmers, over what they called the federal government's "expropriation" of Canadian Wheat Board assets, has hit its final wall. The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday dismissed, with costs, the farmers' application for leave to appeal their 2013 loss in Federal Court. The four --[...]


State of Prairie winter wheat still unknown

CNS Canada -- Snow cover is rapidly disappearing across Western Canada, but it will still be a few weeks until the extent of any damage to winter wheat across the Prairies is fully known. "It's still wait-and-see," said analyst Bruce Burnett of Winnipeg grain firm CWB. The crop won't start re-growing until the overnight temperatures[...]

CP engineers, conductors halt strike

Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and its unionized conductors, engineers, trainmen and yardmen agreed Monday to binding arbitration in their contract talks, ending a strike the day after it began. The end of the strike, which began Sunday just after midnight, comes under the threat of federal back-to-work legislation, which was due to be tabled Monday[...]