News & Opinion & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Pea production is still viewed somewhat skeptically by many Manitoba producers.

COVID-19 no cause for course change on protein, says ag-minister Pedersen

Animal protein a likely weak spot and more agronomic support needed for peas to fill growing demand

By Geralyn Wichers September 18, 2020

Ag Minister Blaine Pedersen says he doesn’t anticipate any changes to Manitoba’s protein strategy despite the adversity of COVID-19. “It is progressing very well,” he told the Co-operator. “I don’t really foresee any changes.” The strategy, with the vision of making Manitoba North America’s protein supplier of choice by 2025, rolled out last September. Its goals include attracting

African farmers disrupted by COVID will benefit from funds from the Canadian government. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank says such help is sorely needed.

News, Other

Federal funds to help African farmers

The $3-million program will focus on supporting small-scale farmers hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff September 18, 2020

New funding from the federal government will support small-scale farmers in Africa, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank announced September 3. “The small-scale farmers we work with in developing countries have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 prevention methods,” said outgoing Foodgrains Bank executive director Jim Cornelius in a news release. “Drastic efforts to reduce the spread of

News, Poultry

China suspends poultry imports from second U.S. plant over COVID-19

By Tom Polansek September 18, 2020

Reuters – China has suspended imports from an OK Foods poultry plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas, because of coronavirus cases among workers, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said Sept. 15. China, the world’s top meat importer, has blocked products from some plants in foreign countries as part of an all-out effort to control

Farmers in western Manitoba are assessing the state of their soybean crops, following a hard frost.

Crops, News

Fingers crossed for frosted soybeans in western Manitoba

Among the other long-season crops, sunflowers will likely fare better than corn

By Allan Dawson September 17, 2020

[UPDATED: Sept. 23, 2020] Widespread frost in western Manitoba last week damaged longer-season crops, but the extent wasn’t known at press time, and in many cases won’t be until harvest is completed. Some farmers on social media said they feared their soybeans were severely injured. But it might not be as bad as some think unless the soybeans

Crops, News

Cereal, pea yields above average so far, canola disappointing

Manitoba farmers are liking their wheat yields but are a bit disappointed with their canola

By Allan Dawson September 17, 2020

Manitoba farmers are seeing above-average spring cereal and pea yields and average to below-average canola yields so far this harvest, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development (MARD) extension specialists from four of Manitoba’s five regions said last week. As of Sept. 8 spring wheat yields were ranging from 45 to 100 bushels an acre, the specialists

The ag sector turned to tools like AAFC’s Drought Watch during dry years like last year.

News, Other, Weather

AAFC uses climate tools to support farm decisions

The National Agroclimate Information Service monitors the impact of climate and weather

By Don Norman September 16, 2020

It’s no secret that climate and weather play a significant role in agriculture. It’s been that way since the first seed was planted. A drought or a flood would pose massive risks to farmers. Accurate forecasting is invaluable in mitigating the effects of weather anomalies. For centuries farmers turned to the latest oracle who claimed

News

Face to face from the comfort of home

AGvisorPRO wants to make its free Tech Direct platform the new ‘go-to’ for ag advice

By Alexis Stockford September 16, 2020

Robert Saik, founder and CEO of AGvisorPRO, wants to displace the 1-800 number when it comes to agriculture. Farmers will be well familiar with the frustrations of long-distance service, from the challenge of describing or diagnosing problems over the phone, to the trials of navigating number-option phone systems and automated messages. The result, Saik argues,

Crop Report, Crops, News

Manitoba harvest passes halfway mark, yields see broad range

Manitoba Crop Report and Crop Weather report for September 15

By Manitoba Agriculture September 15, 2020

Southwest Region Mostly dry weather allowed farmers to continue harvest this week. Temperatures were variable, with cool and frosty nights throughout the week, reaching double-digit daytime highs. Smoke coming from west has developed into a haze over the entire region in the past three days, causing a slowdown in harvest in some areas. Overall rainfall

Comment, Opinion

Comment: ‘How much evidence do you need to vaporize a zombie?’

Farm & Food File: U.S. ag trade policy has a ‘zombie idea’ infestation

By Alan Guebert September 15, 2020

While “zombie ideas” isn’t a phrase you often see in farm publications, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has popularized it to describe a uniquely American political condition. Zombie ideas, the Nobel Prize-winning economist explained in a 2018 column, are,” ideas that should have died long ago, yet still keep shambling along, eating politicians’ brains.”

News

Xarvio Field Manager goes mobile

Field Manager was web based only until recently. Now the company has gone app based

By Alexis Stockford September 15, 2020

BASF’s digital branch, Xarvio Digital Farming Solutions, is putting more and more of its services in the palm of the hand. Farmers may already be familiar with Xarvio’s Field Manager, previously launched as a web-based service for collecting, analyzing and making data-driven decisions at the field level. Now, however, the company wants to make that

Daily Network News

Southern California honeybees show resistance to varroa mites

Pulse Weekly: SaskPulse optimistic despite input, crop price concerns

Canadian aquaculture should be classed as agriculture, industry groups say

News & Opinion