RJ Sigurdson, MLA for Highwood, is sworn in on June 9, 2023 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

Calgary-area MLA named Alberta’s new ag minister

RJ Sigurdson to handle ag file, Horner moves to finance

The Alberta government’s caucus lead on emergency medical services (EMS) reform has been promoted to handle the agriculture file in a post-election cabinet shuffle. RJ Sigurdson, MLA for the constituency of Highwood, just south of Calgary, was sworn in Friday by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani as Alberta’s new minister of agriculture and irrigation, replacing Nate Horner.

McCain Foods’ french fry processing plant near Coaldale, Alta. (University of Lethbridge video screengrab via YouTube)

McCain to double Alberta french fry plant capacity

Lethbridge-area plant to more than double staff count

Alberta’s plans to boost its irrigated acres are being met near the starting line with a major french fry producer’s plans to double the capacity of its plant there. McCain Foods announced Monday it will put up $600 million to build two new production lines for frozen french fries and potato specialty goods at its


Manitoba potato growers say they’ve reached the limit of existing irrigation licenses.

Potato water in Manitoba running short 

Water licence availability might cap sector growth ambitions

Manitoba’s processing potato producers have water worries. Specifically, they’re concerned about the number of available water licences, which allow the irrigation-reliant industry to draw from surface or groundwater. Dan Sawatzky, manager of the Keystone Potato Producers Association, says aquifer access is “basically fully allocated,” as are the minor streams some producers use to refill reservoirs.

Flooding from the Salinas River forces the closure of a road at Salinas, California on Jan. 12, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Nathan Frandino)

California picks up debris from latest storm, braces for next

Also: Why all this rain won't end California's drought

Sacramento | Reuters — Rain-soaked Californians took advantage of a break in a weeks-long deluge to haul away dead trees, restore downed power lines and prepare new stacks of sandbags before another series of storms hits the state beginning Friday. In Monterey County along the state’s central coast, communities near the still-rising Salinas River were


Water systems need to be monitored and the biggest needs identified so they can be specifically targeted, says the director of water management at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Available water a limiting factor for vegetable growers, says Peak of the Market

The province’s new water strategy puts heavy emphasis on conserving water and adapting to climate extremes

A new provincial strategy treats water like a precious, scarce commodity – and it is, say Manitoba’s vegetable growers. “We cannot grow any more acres of (vegetables) in southern Manitoba because we do not have access to enough water,” said Pamela Kolochuk, CEO of Peak of the Market. The province rolled out its new water

Nate Horner, shown here speaking Oct. 4, 2022 at Southland Trailers at Lethbridge, was named Oct. 21 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Alberta government video screengrab via YouTube)

Alberta reorganizes ag portfolio for returning minister

Horner to handle agriculture and irrigation file

Both Alberta and Quebec have re-upped with their incumbent agriculture ministers in cabinet shuffles this week — but incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s shuffle will also streamline that province’s ag portfolio. Chosen by Alberta’s governing United Conservatives (UCP) on Oct. 6 to replace outgoing premier Jason Kenney, Smith on Friday announced Kenney’s incumbent minister of



(VStock/Getty Images)

Water management: What’s the plan?

A full-fledged water management strategy has been in the works for over a year

As Manitobans ride a pendulum swing from too little to too much water, they await the province’s promised comprehensive water strategy — the first update to the plan since the early 2000s. The volatile weather has made plain why it’s needed. “We’re seeing an increase in variability,” said Dimple Roy, director of water management with


(MyLand.ag)

AGI to buy into soil microbe breeding firm

Machinery maker to take minority stake in MyLand

A U.S. company ramping up a system to harvest, reproduce and restore beneficial microbes from a field’s own soils, as a way to restore peak fertility, expects to get backing soon from a Canadian farm equipment maker. Winnipeg-based Ag Growth International (AGI) said Monday it has signed a conditional letter of intent with Phoenix-based MyLand

(Video screengrab from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry via YouTube)

Federal fund, Alberta government back irrigation upgrades

Infrastructure Bank lends cash for system improvements

Eight irrigation districts in Alberta are set to tap into the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s new $1.5 billion pool of funding earmarked for irrigation, to receive loans worth about $407.5 million. The Alberta and federal governments on Friday announced a total investment of $815 million — including repayable CIB funds, provincial support and irrigation district contributions