Manitoba forage growers face a very different problem compared to the dire feed situation last summer.

The good news, bad news scenario on hay

Forage has rebounded from last year’s drought in a big way, although those putting up dry hay face hurdles

For the first time in a long time, there’s hay in the field and lots of it. The problem has been getting to it. Tyler Fulton, president of Manitoba Beef Producers, says yields are some of the best he’s seen, but moisture has been a serious issue for putting up dry hay. “We’re struggling,” he

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Saskatchewan crops advancing quickly

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





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Planting progress picking up in Saskatchewan

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

Hungry cattle wait in the snow in Matthew Atkinson’s farm in western Manitoba.

Wherefore art thou, spring?

Manitoba’s late dose of winter has further strained feed and complicated calving

Spring doesn’t seem to be getting any closer for the beleaguered cattle sector. Feed supply was already tight a month ago, groups like the Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) had reported. Farmers wondered how long they would be able to keep cattle back from pasture — pasture in dire need of a strong start without the


The province’s horse breeders say they’re being frozen out of drought relief programs.

Horse breeders push back against AgriRecovery exclusion

DROUGHT | The horse industry argues its ranches were equally drought stricken as its beef-producing neighbours

Horse breeders in Manitoba are questioning why PMU horses are the only equines eligible for feed and animal transportation programs through AgriRecovery. “There are a lot of horse breeders in the province of Manitoba who have foals on the ground that are just as big and contributing just as much, if not more, to Manitoba’s

Feds fund Hay West to ship another 15 million to 16 million pounds of hay

Feds fund Hay West to ship another 15 million to 16 million pounds of hay

DROUGHT With far more demand than capacity, the CFA is seeking to mitigate as much damage as possible

Federal funding will allow the Hay West relief initiative to ship another 15 million to 16 million pounds of hay through the winter, says the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). That’s based on an average cost of 15 to 20 cents per pound, a spokesperson told the Co-operator. However, that’s a fraction of the hay


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes

Cow-calf producers selling sooner than normal

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

Hay West gets funds to ship more bales

Hay West gets funds to ship more bales

The CFA-headed campaign is one of a few projects of farmers helping farmers through hay relief

A $75,000 shot in the arm will help ‘Hay West’ send more bales to struggling farmers, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) said. “CFA hopes these gestures of financial support will spur further contributions, as the drought in Western Canada has been extremely lengthy and resulted in a dire need for hay,” the organization said