Local, Regional, Canadian News
PEIFA 76th Annual General Meeting
Are you planning to attend? Please call or email Jennifer at jmurphy@peifa.ca or 902-368-7289 to pre-register and help us plan.
Friday, January 27, 2017 – Confederation Centre of the Arts Agenda
Meeting Costs: Members free – Non-Members $25.00
Excellence in Agriculture Banquet: Members $40.00 – Non-Members $45.00
New regulations for livestock Premises Identification
Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced changes to Saskatchewan’s Premises Identification (PID) program, a key traceability tool to plan for, control and prevent the spread of animal diseases and to respond to other emergencies. MORE
$240K to bring Agritech Challenge tech ideas to life
British Columbia’s agritech sector will benefit from the $240,000 that the winners of the Agritech Innovation Challenge will receive to develop and adopt new technology. MORE
U.S. dairy groups urge Trump to set his sights on Canadian dairy policies
U.S. dairy groups are calling on Donald Trump to set his sights on Canada’s “protectionist” dairy practices as he seeks to safeguard American jobs. MORE
EU-Canada trade deal clears further hurdles in Europe
A planned EU-Canada free trade deal received backing from a committee of the European Parliament and Germany’s top court on Thursday, increasing its chances of entering force later this year. MORE
Ready for spring
Farm organizations are as important as ever for farmers who want to keep producing at their best, says OSCIA president Gord Green MORE
PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association Marketing and Production Workshop
Open to all members, no registration fee, no pre-registration necessary
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017, 9:00am-12:00pm
Red Shores Racetrack and Casino, Charlottetown
Guest Speakers include Dr. David Yarborough (Wild Blueberry Specialist, University of Maine), Neri Vautour (Executive Director, WBANA Canada), Mike Nicholas (Nicholas and Knight Ltd., UK), Jamie Blanchard (Trade Development Officer, Innovation PEI) and Bryan Inglis (CEO,Food Island Partnership)
Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety course
The PEI Woodlot Owners Association – in co-operation with the Department of Forestry is looking to hold a Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety Course. For further information please contact Matt Hughes at 902-368-7289 or mhughes@peifa.ca
Career Opportunity – Executive Director
Since 2000, ACORN has been Atlantic Canada’s key organization for information on organic
agriculture and eating organics. From seed to farmer to consumer, ACORN’s talented and
dedicated team works to support a unified and effective organic sector throughout the
region. We are currently recruiting for a new Executive Director, who will be responsible
for leading the organization according to the strategic direction set by our Board of
Directors. This is a permanent, full-time career opportunity, based out of Sackville, NB. MORE
Livestock
Saskatchewan taking livestock premises ID mandatory
Saskatchewan livestock producers wanting to take part in provincial programs will soon have to have a valid premises identification (ID) number. MORE
Red Meat Sector Applauds Changes to Foreign Worker Programme
The Canadian Meat Council is applauding changes announced last month to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programme. MORE
Prospects for US Cattle, Beef Markets a Little Brighter
The USDA updated their World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) yesterday, a monthly proceeding that integrates new developments and data into the existing outlook for agriculture commodity markets. MORE
EU Slaughtering Increase in 2016
According to Eurostat, EU cow slaughterings (January-September) increased 8 per cent compared to 2015 and have been at their highest level for a number of years. MORE
IFA: Enhancement of Regional Veterinary Laboratories Services Vital
IFA Animal Health Chairman Bert Stewart has said the Department of Agriculture Regional Veterinary Laboratory services are highly regarded, a vital support for farmers throughout the country and the focus of the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his officials must be the enhancement of services to farmers in all regional sites. MORE
Pakistan, Netherlands Agree to Enhance Cooperation in Agri, Dairy Sectors
Pakistan and Netherlands Thursday agreed for enhancing bilateral cooperation in fields of agriculture, horticulture and dairy development to promote and develop the agriculture and livestock sector in the country. MORE
‘Have You Got the Selection Factor?’ Asks AHDB
AHDB Beef & Lamb is looking to recruit a team with the “selection factor” to join its new Selection Academy. MORE
South East Asia Hog Market Report
Pig farming is growing fast in Vietnam, and pig prices in the market are still in serious decline. MORE
German Pig Meat Demand Under Pressure
Consumer demand for pig meat in Germany has been under considerable pressure in the last five years. MORE
More ASF Reported in Ukraine
A new outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been discovered on a farm in eastern Ukraine. MORE
Brazil Resumes Fresh Pork Exports to South Africa
Brazil will resume exports of fresh pork to South Africa following the lifting of the ban South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – January 12 – Regular and Feeder Sale HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report –Thursday, January 12 HERE
Potatoes
AHDB overview of 2017 potato trade
One of the major challenges for the upcoming period is to ensure the requirements for raw products. “However, varieties and specifications can be different to local supplies, so the challenge will be to source imports that service their requirements. MORE
Egypt to increase exports of potatoes to Lebanon
The Minister of Industry and Trade, Tarek Kabil, said that Egyptian exports to Lebanon increased by 65% during 2016 compared to 2015, adding that a lot of different fields benefited from the increase. MORE
“Potato export is doing well despite high prices”
No complaints can be currently heard on the potato market. “The market has been developing very positively in the past few months. As far as we are concerned, this can last a while longer,” says Jan Westhoeve of Westhoeve Potatoes in Ouddorp, the Netherlands. MORE
Insights into the Belgian Potato Trade in 2017
The free potato prices have been high during the whole season, which has affected the markets, as well as imports and exports increasing competition, the representative of Belgapom explains. MORE
OZ FARMER SERVES UP POTATO ICE CREAM
Forget mashed, baked or fried — potato ice cream is just one of the recipes whipped up from the country kitchen of Australian spud growers Phil and Val Murphy. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grain/Oilseed Review: Canola Climbs With Soybeans
ICE Futures Canada canola contracts were stronger on Thursday, as a rally in Chicago Board of Trade soybeans provided spillover support. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Wednesday: Canola futures prices higher, barley lower HERE
Clubroot arrives in Ontario canola
Ontario has its first case of clubroot disease in canola — and further testing has confirmed clubroot in canola fields across the province. MORE
Pinto prices strong, farmers weigh new-crop options
Manitoba pinto bean spot prices are holding steady near yearly highs, as adverse weather during the growing season scaled back production. MORE
Westman group exploring feasibility of soybean-crushing plant
Westman Opportunities Leadership Group chair Ray Redfern says with soybean production expanding and perhaps hog production too, a plant in western Manitoba could make sense MORE
High-tech fertilizers offer great promise
The fertilizers farmers use will one day be manufactured from algae or hydrogen fuel, not natural gas, and they’ll be ‘SMARTer’ too, said a speaker at St. Jean Farm Days last week. MORE
Soy up as USDA lowers crop, stocks estimates
U.S. soybean futures hit a 3-1/2-week high on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its estimate of the 2016 soy harvest and lowered its forecast of domestic inventories, analysts said. MORE
U.S. farmers cut winter wheat acres to 108-year low
U.S. farmers slashed their winter wheat plantings to the lowest in more than a century as supplies of the grain ballooned to a 29-year high, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Thursday. MORE
AM markets: hard wheat extends gains on slump in US sowings HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Food Commodity Prices Fall for Fifth Year in a Row
Prices of major food commodities declined for the fifth year in a row in 2016, averaging 161.6 points for the year as a whole, some 1.5 percent below their 2015 levels. MORE
Prices Beat Brexit to Top of Problem List for Irish Farmers
Farmers have identified product price as the key issue that will impact on their farm enterprise in 2017, according to the IFA barometer of farmer sentiment which is part of the Farm Income Review. MORE
Regular Updates
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Report – January 6 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – January 5 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Thursday, January 12 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association Marketing and Production Workshop
Open to all members, no registration fee, no pre-registration necessary
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017, 9:00am-12:00pm
Red Shores Racetrack and Casino, Charlottetown
Guest Speakers include Dr. David Yarborough (Wild Blueberry Specialist, University of Maine), Neri Vautour (Executive Director, WBANA Canada), Mike Nicholas (Nicholas and Knight Ltd., UK), Jamie Blanchard (Trade Development Officer, Innovation PEI) and Bryan Inglis (CEO,Food Island Partnership)
SSDE Industry Engagement Day – January 20, 2017
Our first semester is behind us and it was a tremendous success. During last semester we hosted our first Industry Engagement day and had the great privilege of welcoming well over 100 people to our School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Building on that success, we wish to start the New Year off with good momentum and hold our next Industry Engagement day on the 20th of January 2017. This day will have a specific focus on Bio-Resources and Precision Agriculture.
Goal – Is to gather Industry, Government, and Academia and look for collaboration to advance Bio-Resources and Precision Agriculture. We will also to take the opportunity to introduce the Class of 2017.
Date and time – 20 January 2017 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Location – UPEI Campus. 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE.
Agenda
10:00 – Welcome to the Province of Prince Edward Island and to the University
10:10 – Keynote Address from the Province
10:30 – Introduction of the first keynote speaker Dr. John K. Schueller from the University of Florida by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque
10:35 – Key Note address: Precision Agriculture Technologies for Economically and Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture
11:05 – Introduction of the second keynote speaker Dr. Animesh Dutta from the University of Guelph by Dr. Bishnu Acharya
11:30 – Meet the Graduating Class of 2017 – Introduction by Dr. Wayne Peters, the Director of Student Experience
11:35 – Guided tour by the Industry Partnerships Group
12:00 – Lunch (provided – no turkey)/Networking – 60 mins
1:00 – Panel discussion led by the School of Sustainable Design Engineering with keynote speakers and Government/Industry representatives
2:00 – wrap up and thank you by Dr. Nick Krouglicof, Associate Dean of Engineering and Allan Dale, Industry Partnerships Group
Please RSVP to Lisa Sanderson at lmsanderson@upei.ca
