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
June Member Profile – Douglas and Ian Simmons HERE
Nova Scotia ag minister, critic keep seats in election
Nova Scotia’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead ag critic have both hung onto their seats in an election which saw the governing Liberals return to power with a slightly slimmer majority. MORE
Interlake greenhouse operators aim for lightest possible environmental footprint
A first impression upon stepping inside this Interlake greenhouse is its owners must have a lot of pairs of hands helping them keep their plants so green and healthy. MORE
Incorporation pushes farms into higher gear
With 30,000 incorporated farms on 50 million acres, farm incorporation is on the rise in Canada, and not just because of the tax savings. In fact, these other benefits can be even more valuable MORE
A collaborative approach to developing a national food strategy could propel the agri-food industry forward and enable it to reach its potential.
When the idea of a national food strategy or policy is raised in Ottawa circles, it usually leads to more questions than answers. What is a national food strategy (or policy)? How will it work? More importantly, why does Canada need one? MORE
Advance Payments Program through the PEI Federation of Agriculture
Eligible producers will are now able to apply for the 2017 Advance Payments Program through the PEI Federation of Agriculture.
Federation Members will continue to receive a preferred rate on Administrative Fees. This is available for farmers who have paid their dues in 2017 or those that were members as of December 31, 2016.
For more information on the program, please contact Andrew Wood or Tim Seeber at 902-368-7289.
UG to offer organic certificate program
Responding to student demand, the University of Guelph will introduce an organic certificate program next year.
It will be open to all undergraduate students in the fall of 2018, encouraging broader student enrollment in organic and alternative agriculture courses. MORE
Canadian dairy farmers celebrate World Milk Day
Today, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is pleased to share how we celebrate the vibrant dairy industry in Canada on World Milk Day. MORE
PEI Certified Organic Producers Cooperative
Following is a link to our new podcast: http://organicpei.com/podcast/
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/
PEI COPC Organic Farm Tour
PEI COPC will be hosting a one day organic farm tour on Wednesday, July 6th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m..
Local media, social media guests, COPC staff, PEIDAF Minister and Deputy will be attending the tour of five COPC member farms, including: Dexter Cattle Company, Square One Organics, Red Soil Organics, Heartbeet Organics, and Schurman Family Farm.
Transportation and lunch are provided.
Seats are limited and tickets will be on sale beginning next week ($25 each or $20 for COPC members).
Contact Karen at email@organicpei.com or 902-894-9999 for more information.
Livestock
Fund buying extends live cattle gains
The previous session’s Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle advances carried over into Wednesday, with support from fund buying and short-covering on the final trading session of the month, said traders. MORE
Daily Average Cattle Marketings Above 5-Year Average
We said that there would be more discussion of the latest “Cattle on Feed” report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Compared to most 1 May “Cattle on Feed”, reports this one warrants additional attention, writes Steiner Consulting Group, DLR Division, Inc. MORE
Meghalaya BJP Leader Quits Party Protesting Against Cattle Trade Rule
INDIA – s the Central government confronts strong opposition to its new rule banning cattle trade for slaughter in south and the northeast, a BJP leader in Meghalaya has resigned in protest. MORE
Zimbabwean Farmers Urged to Insure Livestock
Livestock farmers have been urged to commercialise their operations and insure their animals to avoid losses in the event of diseases and natural disasters such as drought. MORE
Manitoba PED Outbreak Reminder of Swine Industry Vulnerability to Disease
The Chair of the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board is encouraging pork producers in Saskatchewan to maintain their focus on biosecurity in response to a new wave of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea infections in southeastern Manitoba MORE
Wider Adoption of Technology Reduces Costs, Improves Value
The CEO of Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement suggests, as new technologies designed to help Canadian pork producers maintain their completive edge become more widely adopted, their costs will come down while the benefits they provide will increase MORE
PED cases fan out in southeastern Manitoba
Three more farms in southeastern Manitoba have been confirmed with cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) — all of them outside the buffer area in which six previous infected sites were confirmed earlier this month. MORE
Scientists Discover How Some Pigs Cope in Cold Climates
A new paper has revealed that pig breeds such as Tibetan pigs and Min pigs use a unique method to survive when exposed to cold environments. MORE
AHDB Releases Two New Valuable Data Publications
Two new publications from AHDB Pork will be published in June and both provide a valuable source of information about the pig industry, reports Vikki Campbell, Acting Data and Analysis Manager at AHDB. MORE
Pig Price Increase Long Overdue as EU Prices Power Ahead
There was no official movement of pig prices from the main export plants again this week, in spite of the ever-increasing gap between the EU average price and the Irish pig price. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – May 25 – HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Wednesday, May 31 HERE
Potatoes
Investment Sizzles as Potato Demand Grows
After years of flat demand, North America’s potato industry is enjoying a wave of investment. MORE
NEW LABEL CHANGES APPROVED FOR PARADIGM AND PIXXARO
Western Canadian growers looking to rotate process and table potatoes on fields previously treated with broadleaf weed herbicides, Paradigm and Pixxaro, can now plant a minimum of 10 months after using either of the herbicides. MORE
Potatoes USA: Frozen and Fresh Exports up, Dehydrates down
Total U.S. frozen potato exports recovered in March, up 17% over March 2016 and bringing the total for the first three-quarters of the marketing year to 754,953 metric tons, up 3% over the same period last fiscal year, according to Potatoes USA’s data. MORE
Michigan Potatoes at National Restaurant Show
Michigan potatoes and the amazing products that are made with high-quality Michigan potatoes were the showcase of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission’s booth at the 2017 National Restaurant Show (NRS). MORE
Peruvian potato exports increased by 19.4% in the first quarter
According to the Exporters Association (Adex), in the first quarter of the year, Peruvian potato exports amounted to $ 594,428 dollars, i.e. 19.4% more than in the same period of 2016. MORE
Italy: Is this the potato of the future?
PK060108 might be the perfect new potato selection for Romagna. MORE
Poor storage causes $130m in losses for Kenyan potato farmers
Potato farmers incurred losses to the tune of Sh13 billion ($130million) due to lack of proper storage facilities, poor harvesting and handling mechanisms. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grain/Oilseed Review: Canola mostly lower
ICE Futures Canada canola contracts closed mixed on Wednesday, although the most active contracts were all lower. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Wednesday: Canola futures prices mostly higher, barley unchanged HERE
SEEDING DECISIONS HARVEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR CANADIAN FARMERS
With innovations in crop science, production practices, and marketing, Canadian farm operators are growing a wider variety of field crops while also expanding their production area. Canada’s total field crop area increased seven per cent from 2011 to 92.7 million acres in 2016. MORE
More losses likely for bearish canola
ICE Futures Canada canola contracts posted large losses during the week ended Wednesday, and could be headed even lower, as bearish technicals and weakness in global economic markets outweigh supportive fundamentals. MORE
Farmers wait for fertilizer prices to fall amid oversupply
As more fertilizer plants are built around the world and U.S. corn acreage shrinks, the typical thinking holds that prices for urea and nitrogen should fall, but that hasn’t been the case so far for Canadian farmers. MORE
Oats and alfalfa to reduce Corn Belt erosion?
A new study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that modified three- and four-crop farming systems could be scaled up and adopted widely in Corn Belt states, generating benefits to farmers and taxpayers worth hundreds of millions of dollars. MORE
Soybeans in danger of dropping below US$9
The Chicago Board of Trade soybean market is increasingly being weighed down as rain-stricken farmers switch out acres intended for corn into oilseeds. MORE
Corn ends higher on lower-than-expected crop ratings
U.S. corn futures rose about 1.4 per cent on Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s initial condition ratings for the crop fell below trade expectations. MORE
Crop Condition Assessment Program, 2017 HERE
AM markets: Grains open June on firm note, as global weather fears rise HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Five tips for eco-friendly gardening
The word eco-friendly can be used in many areas of our lives: at work, at home, at play. MORE
The Food Sustainability Index: Fostering the Global Shift Towards a More Sustainable Food System
A sustainable food system (SFS) has been defined by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a food system that ensures food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social, and environmental bases to underpin food security and nutrition of future generations are not compromised. MORE
Challenge of Change Report: Providing Solutions to Key Food Security Issues
The Challenge of Change Commission, established by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), last year, has released a report identifying solutions for the global food system. MORE
JBS parent to pay record fine in leniency deal
J+F Investimentos, controlling shareholder of the globe’s largest meatpacker JBS SA, agreed to pay a record-setting 10.3 billion real (C$4.3 billion) fine for its role in corruption scandals that threaten to oust President Michel Temer, Brazilian prosecutors said. MORE
Regular Updates
CFA in Action – May 31 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – May 31 HERE
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Reports – May 26 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Wednesday, May 31 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
PEI COPC Organic Farm Tour
PEI COPC will be hosting a one day organic farm tour on Wednesday, July 6th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m..
Local media, social media guests, COPC staff, PEIDAF Minister and Deputy will be attending the tour of five COPC member farms, including: Dexter Cattle Company, Square One Organics, Red Soil Organics, Heartbeet Organics, and Schurman Family Farm.
Transportation and lunch are provided.
Seats are limited and tickets will be on sale beginning next week ($25 each or $20 for COPC members).
Contact Karen at email@organicpei.com or 902-894-9999 for more information.
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
