In partnership with PEI Agromart and Island Lime, the PEI Federation of Agriculture is pleased to offer a scholarship of $2,000 for the 2017/18 academic year.
Application deadline is June 1, 2017. Click here for the application form.
Local, Regional, Canadian News
School greenhouse connects students to the earth and the community
A group of students at Charlottetown Rural High School are getting their hands dirty as part of a class project this semester. MORE
Young students explore the world of agriculture
With a boom in the agricultural sector in Northern Ontario, there’s a growing trend to teach students more about planting and livestock. MORE
8 management practices of successful Canadian farmers HERE
Start succession planning with a conversation — and then keep talking
Working on your farm management skills is like exercising… it pays big benefits, but it’s easy to push it off for another day. Only one-third of producers use business advisers or risk management tools, and fewer still do HR, succession, or strategic planning. MORE
Lobbying to Save NAFTA Proving Effective
The Vice President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute says lobbying efforts from both within the United States and from Canada and Mexico to salvage the North American Free Trade Agreement are showing results MORE
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries – Job Opportunity
AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS OFFICER
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES
Location: Charlottetown
FULL-TIME CLASSIFIED POSITION – (COMMENCING IMMEDIATELY)
Closing date – May 23, 2017
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is committed to the sustainable development of the agriculture industry on Prince Edward Island. The purpose of this position is to provide a broad range of highly specialized technical services to the staff of the Sustainable Agriculture Section to support the delivery of professional agri-environmental and engineering services that ensure that our natural resources are used in a sustainable manner. This position will also provide key technical support to research that will lead to improved beneficial management practices and assist in the delivery of agri-environmental policy and programs. MORE
Farm Credit Canada – Job Opportunity
Passion for agriculture required
Manage relationships with local producers and be responsible for a developing loan portfolio. You’ll tailor financing packages to meet your customers’ needs, including both lending and non-lending products, and help them build success.
Job Title: Relationship Manager
Location: Charlottetown, PE
Closing date: May 19, 2017
Language required: English
Term: Permanent
Environmental Farm Plan Renewals
The Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program sent out renewal letters in early 2017 to notify producers that their environmental farms plans would be expiring at the end of the year. If you are a producer who has not yet contacted the office to have your plan updated please call Matt or JoAnn at 902-368-7289.
EFP’s are valid for 5 years and we encourage all farmers to participate in the program. Participation in the program also allows you to apply for funding through the Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Stewardship Program, Farmland Finance Program and the Future Farmer Program. For your convenience the EFP can be completed at your farm or at the PEI Federation of Agricultural office and takes approximately 1.5 hrs to complete. EFP’s are no cost to the producer.
If you feel your EFP may be expired and you have not yet been contacted please call the office and we will check the status of your last plan. Further information on the Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program can be found on the PEI Federation of Agriculture webpage www.peifa.ca/efp/
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO:
Develop a process and identify suitable metrics to ultimately deliver a data set which definitively describes the economic, environmental and social effects of a robust organic agriculture industry on Prince Edward Island; link to detailed project description.
Please direct any inquiries to: Karen Murchison, PEI COPC Research Coordinator
email@organicpei.com or 902-894-9999
Livestock
Livestock Industry Calls for Relief from EPA’s Overly Burdensome Regulations
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council filed comments this week to the EPA calling for immediate action on several burdensome regulations the agency put forward under previous Administrations. MORE
China to Open Market to Belarusian Beef
China is going to open its market to Belarusian beef, BelTA learned from Alexei Bogdanov, Head of the Central Office for Foreign Economic Activities of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry. MORE
Hogs end mixed on profit-taking
U.S. lean hog futures jumped to the highest levels in three months on Wednesday, rising alongside wholesale pork prices before some hog contracts turned lower on profit-taking, traders and analysts said. MORE
Hog Futures Rally During W17-W20
Hog futures have rallied in the last four weeks as market participants come to grips with steady (and rapid) gains in product markets and the spot live trade, reports Steiner Consulting Group, DLR Division, Inc. MORE
Tiny Bubbles Help Heal Broken Bones in Pigs
Researchers have developed a much needed alternative to bone grafts that could help alleviate the long-term hospitalization, disability, and considerable costs to the health system associated with non-healing fractures. MORE
Tight Pork Supplies Limit Export Performance Once Again
UK exports of fresh/frozen pork in March were 3 per cent lower on the year at 19,100 tonnes, according to the latest data from HMRC, reports Millie Askew, AHDB analyst. MORE
Shanghai Seminars Highlight Value, Quality of US Pork
Training seminars conducted by USMEF in Shanghai provided Chinese importers, distributors and chefs information about cutting, preparing and marketing a variety of US pork cuts. The trainings, funded by the Pork Checkoff, also included sessions for foodservice managers and traders with retail clients in the Shanghai area. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – May 11 – HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Wednesday, May 17 HERE
Potatoes
WEBINAR: POTATOES AND WATER MANAGEMENT
Register for Spud Smart’s webinar: Potatoes and Water Management, Thursday, May 18, 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT. MORE
WASHINGTON POTATO PRODUCERS TO VOTE ON MARKETING ORDER
Washington potato producers will vote from June 9-23, 2017, on whether to continue the federal marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington. MORE
NORTHWEST POTATO RESEARCH CONSORTIUM AWARDS GRANTS
The Northwest Potato Research Consortium recently approved a combined $1.5 million in grant funding to 37 research projects. MORE
Potatoes USA Summer Meeting
Potatoes USA’s 2017 summer meeting will take place Aug. 7-11 at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas. MORE
Different Modes of Action May be Needed for PPO-resistant Pigweed
University of Arkansas weed scientists have been observing differences in performance for various herbicides since they began documenting resistance in Palmer amaranth to PPO inhibitor herbicides. MORE
Planning underway for 2017 Potato Field Days
Mark your calendar now for the series of three potato field days across Michigan. Each field day will provide insight into new varieties and include speakers on relevant topics of interest to Michigan potato growers. MORE
Expanded Role for Michigan In National Chip Trials
Last week SNaC International (former Snack Food Association) announced that Chris Long has been named their new Chipping Potato Specialist. In this role, Chris will be managing SNaC’s chipping trials and working with potato processors with a goal of delivering the best possible varieties of chipping varieties to market. MORE
Indian Investment Funds Give Money to Potato Seeds Company
Bengaluru-based potato seeds firm Utkal Tubers India Pvt. Ltd has raised Rs 30 crore (around USD4.6 million) from Zephyr Peacock India Fund and CapAleph Indian Millennium SME Fund, according to a media report. MORE
Nigerian potato value chain project to commence by June
The Coordinator of the Potato Value Chain Project in Plateau state (Nigeria), Mr. Thaddeus Yelwa, said the project would commence by June, 2017. MORE
Potato Stocks in UK Keep Pace with 2015/16 Season
GB grower-held potato stock levels at the end of March were at 1Mt, around the same volume as the end-March 2016 and 300Kt less than the end-March 2015 according to an AHDB estimate. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American grain/oilseed review: Canola turns mixed at the close
ICE Futures Canada canola closed mixed on Wednesday. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Wednesday: Canola futures prices mostly lower, barley unchanged HERE
Weather to spark ‘tug-of-war’ in canola
ICE Futures Canada canola traders are keenly watching Prairie weather, with variability expected to keep the market choppy in the near term, one analyst says. MORE
Prairie oats at tipping point
Seeding delays in Western Canada could see more area shift into oats, which need a shorter growing season and minimal inputs compared to other options. MORE
Disc tillage not the only answer to corn residue
Producers may want to look beyond disc tillage to deal with corn residue, according to research co-funded by the Manitoba Corn Growers Association. MORE
Eggplant value chain project replaces most imports
Canadian-grown eggplant and okra have replaced about 800,000 kg of imports over the past several years, creating a research-to-grower-to-market success story. MORE
Weather concerns keep room to the upside
Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade remain rangebound overall, though there may be room to the upside despite the generally bearish underlying fundamentals, according to an analyst. MORE
Wheat gains as dollar sags
U.S. wheat futures firmed on Wednesday, supported by a tumbling dollar and unwanted rains heading for the southern Plains growing area, analysts said. MORE
AM markets: ags fall, as ‘Washington chaos’ deters investors HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Undaunted by glut, new potash players bank on fertilizer rebound
The owners of several new potash mines that are adding fertilizer to an already oversupplied market are banking on better times, bucking industry thinking that the projects may snuff a modest price recovery. MORE
Bee industry buzzing: Stolen hives recovered in California
The bee industry is buzzing over the arrest of a man accused of stealing thousands of hives worth nearly $1 million from California’s almond orchards in one of the biggest such thefts on record. MORE
Regular Updates
Rayglen Market Comments – May 17 HERE
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Reports – May 12 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Tuesday, May 16 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative
The Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative has been approved for a 2 year period. Applications will be accepted starting April 26, 2017.
The program is designed to hire youth aged 15 to 30 for internships of up to 12 months. It will be of interest to producers and organizations working in the agriculture industry and interested in implementing agriculture projects that are environmentally beneficial.
Producers operating a farm or ranch can hire a young person to implement an environmentally beneficial project in their operation.
Agricultural organizations, such as watershed groups and companies providing environmentally beneficial services can access the program to support an environmentally beneficial project their organization is implementing. Research organizations can receive funding to support their agricultural research that benefits the environment.
For an application form and more details on the program, please visit: Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative
Trade Team PEI Business Mission to South Korea
When: May 15, 2017 – May 19, 2017
Where: Seoul, South Korea
Innovation PEI, in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) are seeking interest from PEI-based enterprises and organizations to participate in a multi-sector Business Mission to South Korea during the week of May 15-19, 2017. MORE
This mission will serve to enhance existing export relationships, provide opportunities for market expansion while at the same time providing an exceptional opportunity to introduce companies to this strong market. Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world and is one of the largest importing countries on the planet. P.E.I.’s exports to Korea in 2016 were almost $15 million and Canadian products/suppliers are much sought after for our high quality and reputation to deliver. This mission will be of particular interest to companies in the professional services, ICT, clean tech, education, manufacturing and food sectors. The customization of each delegate’s business development program to advance their mission-week and market objectives will be a core feature of this initiative.
During this week the Seoul Food and Hotel Show will be taking place offering mission participants a chance to see first-hand the breadth of product offering and to gather key market intelligence. While there is a Canada pavilion at this event, P.E.I. will not have a booth at the show for this year. Participants will be able to walk the show. However we will also be exploring this opportunity for future years. For details on the Seoul Hotel and Food Show visit http://www.seoulfoodnhotel.co.kr/
For more information on this mission and to express your interest in participating, please contact either of these mission leads by email or by phone:
Scott Ferris – Innovation PEI scferris@gov.pe.ca or (902) 368-5952 or Jeff Burry – ACOA Jeff.Burry@canada.ca or (902) 314-2197