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
Farming brothers share the significance of mobile farming apps
When brothers Bryan and Kyle Maynard first learned about cellphone apps they never thought they would become so crucial to their operation. MORE
Governments Update Farmers on Risk Management Programs for 2017
Manitoba farmers will continue to benefit from comprehensive coverage provided through AgriInsurance and the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) in the upcoming season, Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today. MORE
Government of Canada Supports B.C. Agricultural Innovation
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, Carla Qualtrough, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, Lawrence MacAulay, today announced a $1.1 million investment in Mazza Innovation to expand their plant extract production facility in Delta, British Columbia. MORE
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
Attention: Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate Holders
To renew your pesticide applicator certificate there are three options available for you:
First Option: Renewal of your certificate by receiving Continuing Education Credits.
Second Option: Take a one day training course & write the two hour exam.
Third Option: Make an appointment to come in and write the two hour exam.
First Option:
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will be offering two different training days
Day A and Day B. You are required to attend one Day A and one Day B over the five year re-certification period. Only one day per calendar year can be credited.
Day A – Topics covered: General Information, Regulations, Environmental Safety, and Application Technology.
Day B – Topics covered: Emergency Response, Labeling, Professionalism, Traceability, Integrated Pest Management, and Human Health and Safety.
Your current Pesticide Applicator Certificate will remain valid until the expiry date printed on your certificate. New Class A certificates will now all have an expiry date of March 31. The fee payable for a new 5-year certificate is $75.
When you have met the requirements to renew your license, you will be mailed an application form for renewal of your Pesticide Applicator Certificate. Should you fail to attend both of these training sessions prior to the expiry date on your current Certificate, you will need to successfully complete the written examination to obtain a new certificate.
The 2017 training schedule is as follows:
Day A:
January 24,2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
January 31,2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside
February 21, 2017 Lane’s Riverhouse Inn, Montague
March 14, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH Charlottetown
Day B:
January 26,2017 Rodd Royalty, THC, Charlottetown
February 2,2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside
February 22,2017 Lanes Riverhouse Inn, Montague
March 16, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. All information sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be completed by 4:00 p.m. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and there is a
$ 25. fee to offset this cost.
To register for one of these training days please call (902) 368-4154.
Should you have questions or require additional detail, please do not hesitate to contact Shelley Ployer at (902) 368-4154 or via e-mail at seployer@gov.pe.ca
Second Option:
You can also renew your license by attending a one day training course and writing the exam at the end of the day (there is no cost to attend this course). This training course is designed to refresh your memory and prepare you for writing the exam. It DOES NOT provide you with any certification days. There is no cost to write the exam. The cost for a 5 year Pesticide Applicator Certificate is $75.
The 2017 training schedule for the one day course followed by writing the exam is as follows:
January 25, 2017 Rodd Mill River Resort, Mill River
February 1, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
February 22, 2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside March 15, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. Training sessions begin at 8:45 a.m. and are completed by 3:30 p.m. The exam will be from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
To register for one of these training days please call (902) 368-4154.
Third Option:
You can make an appointment to write the two hour exam by calling Debbie MacRae at
(902) 368-5024 or Thane Clarke at (902) 368-5599 at the Department of Communities, Land and Environment in Charlottetown. The cost is the same, $75.
Livestock
Feeder cattle prices lukewarm on mixed factors
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were steady to $2 higher compared to week-ago levels. All weight classes experienced lukewarm buying interest, despite improving margins in the feedlot sector. MORE
Cash prices boost live cattle to 10-month high
Chicago Mercantile Exchange nearby live cattle contracts on Tuesday climbed to their highest level in 10 months after investors digested last week’s better-than-expected cash prices, traders said. MORE
US Beef Master Class Showcases Alternative Cuts for Uzbekistan Chefs
USMEF partnered with the Association of Uzbekistan Chefs to conduct an educational master class on US beef for Uzbekistan chefs and other foodservice professionals. MORE
Agriculture Ministry to Prioritize Bali Cattle Breeding in 2017
To boost the population of local heifers, the Agriculture Ministry plans to focus on indigenous Bali cattle breeding this year. MORE
NCBA/PLC Support Confirmation of Zinke for Secretary of Interior
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council have released statements supporting the confirmation of Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) for the Secretary of Interior. MORE
2017 BDGP Selection Data and Tags Now Available
IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods has welcomed the positive response from ICBF to the IFA request to make selection data and tags under the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) available early to suckler farmers in the scheme this year. MORE
UK Exporters Trained on US Beef, Lamb Import Requirements
A group of UK meat exporters received training on meeting US regulatory requirements for beef and lamb imports during a visit to Washington DC last week. MORE
Saskatchewan to Implement New Regulations for Livestock Premises Identification
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced changes to Saskatchewan’s Premises Identification (PID) programme, a key traceability tool to plan for, control and prevent the spread of animal diseases and to respond to other emergencies. MORE
Roller Coaster Year for UK Pork With More Uncertainty to Come?
Last year 2016 was a year of highs and lows for the UK pork sector. In March prices fell to their lowest level since 2008. MORE
Processors Demand for Pigs Remains Strong
Chairman of the Irish Farmers Association Pigs Committee Tom Hogan has called on all processors to increase the price of pigs across the board. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – January 12 – Regular and Feeder Sale HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report –Tuesday, January 17 HERE
Potatoes
2017 NORTHEAST POTATO TECHNOLOGY FOURM
The 24th Annual 2017 Northeast Potato Technology Fourm is being held March 15-16, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook Hotel in downtown Fredericton. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grains/Oilseed Review – Canola enjoys rare push from soymeal
THE ICE Futures Canada canola market finished higher on Tuesday, tracking gains in US soybeans. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Tuesday: Canola futures prices higher, barley unchanged
Canola acres seen rising on high prices
Canadian canola plantings may rise slightly in spring as farmers seek to cash in before an expected drop in vegetable oil prices as palm crops recover from drought that hit major Southeast Asian producers, German oilseed analysis firm Oil World said Tuesday. MORE
Managing fusarium can reduce risk
Nobody can change the weather, but better crop management can hamper the disease’s spread MORE
Seed quality highly variable
A tough growing year has translated into seed that can have lower germ levels MORE
Soybeans set six-month top
U.S. soybean futures rose about two per cent on Tuesday, touching a six-month high on worries about excessive rains in Argentina crimping production prospects, analysts said. MORE
AM markets: soy eases, awaiting clarity on Argentine floods HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Wiring the farm for the Information Age
Information is power, and without data, it is impossible to operate a business — any business. At the tail end of 2016, Canadian agriculture received the news it had long been waiting for: the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared that broadband Internet access in Canada is now considered a basic telecommunications service for all. MORE
Bayer, Monsanto confirm spending plans after meeting Trump
Bayer and Monsanto said Tuesday they would spend at least half of their agriculture research and development budget in the U.S. over the next six years, following a meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump last week. MORE
The Future of Food is in Cooperatives
Food Tank had the opportunity to speak with Narendra Varma, founder of Our Table Cooperative, a multi-stakeholder cooperative located in Sherwood, Oregon. MORE
Ambassador Darci Vetter: “Food and agriculture policy are critical”
Ambassador Darci Vetter, Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, is speaking at the third annual D.C. Food Tank Summit, Let’s Build a Better Food Policy, which will be hosted in partnership with George Washington University and the World Resources Institute on February 2, 2017. MORE
Syngenta sees no sale of ChemChina’s Adama to smooth merger
Syngenta, the Swiss pesticides and seeds group being taken over by ChemChina, does not expect antitrust regulators to force the Chinese state-owned company to put its subsidiary Adama up for sale, Syngenta’s CEO said on Tuesday. MORE
Farming Union Highlights Concerns Over Free Trade Approach to Brexit
In a major speech yesterday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May outlined some of the government’s key priorities for negotiating the exit from the European Union, but UK farming organisations pointed out there was still considerable uncertainty about the future. MORE
Chocothon Seeks to Save Cocoa Production in Ghana
According to research at the University of Reading, cocoa contributes between 70 to 100 percent of Ghanaian farmers’ annual household income and employs about 3.2 million workers there. MORE
Regular Updates
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Report – January 13 HERE
FCC Express – January 13 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Tuesday, January 17 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
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
Attention: Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate Holders
To renew your pesticide applicator certificate there are three options available for you:
First Option: Renewal of your certificate by receiving Continuing Education Credits.
Second Option: Take a one day training course & write the two hour exam.
Third Option: Make an appointment to come in and write the two hour exam.
First Option:
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will be offering two different training days
Day A and Day B. You are required to attend one Day A and one Day B over the five year re-certification period. Only one day per calendar year can be credited.
Day A – Topics covered: General Information, Regulations, Environmental Safety, and Application Technology.
Day B – Topics covered: Emergency Response, Labeling, Professionalism, Traceability, Integrated Pest Management, and Human Health and Safety.
Your current Pesticide Applicator Certificate will remain valid until the expiry date printed on your certificate. New Class A certificates will now all have an expiry date of March 31. The fee payable for a new 5-year certificate is $75.
When you have met the requirements to renew your license, you will be mailed an application form for renewal of your Pesticide Applicator Certificate. Should you fail to attend both of these training sessions prior to the expiry date on your current Certificate, you will need to successfully complete the written examination to obtain a new certificate.
The 2017 training schedule is as follows:
Day A:
January 24,2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
January 31,2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside
February 21, 2017 Lane’s Riverhouse Inn, Montague
March 14, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH Charlottetown
Day B:
January 26,2017 Rodd Royalty, THC, Charlottetown
February 2,2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside
February 22,2017 Lanes Riverhouse Inn, Montague
March 16, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. All information sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be completed by 4:00 p.m. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and there is a
$ 25. fee to offset this cost.
To register for one of these training days please call (902) 368-4154.
Should you have questions or require additional detail, please do not hesitate to contact Shelley Ployer at (902) 368-4154 or via e-mail at seployer@gov.pe.ca
Second Option:
You can also renew your license by attending a one day training course and writing the exam at the end of the day (there is no cost to attend this course). This training course is designed to refresh your memory and prepare you for writing the exam. It DOES NOT provide you with any certification days. There is no cost to write the exam. The cost for a 5 year Pesticide Applicator Certificate is $75.
The 2017 training schedule for the one day course followed by writing the exam is as follows:
January 25, 2017 Rodd Mill River Resort, Mill River
February 1, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
February 22, 2017 Loyalist Inn, Summerside March 15, 2017 Rodd Royalty, TCH, Charlottetown
Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. Training sessions begin at 8:45 a.m. and are completed by 3:30 p.m. The exam will be from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
To register for one of these training days please call (902) 368-4154.
Third Option:
You can make an appointment to write the two hour exam by calling Debbie MacRae at
(902) 368-5024 or Thane Clarke at (902) 368-5599 at the Department of Communities, Land and Environment in Charlottetown. The cost is the same, $75.
