Local, Regional, Canadian News
Halifax police investigating after needle found in potato
Halifax Regional Police are investigating after they received a call Sunday night that someone found a needle in a batch of leftover potatoes. MORE
Information Session – Workers Compensation Board – Coverage for Farmers
Effective January 1, 2017, all farms will be required to have WCB coverage under the Workers Compensation Act. For more information, please join us on
Wednesday, December 7th 12:00 – 5:00pm
Farm Centre – 420 University Avenue
For more information please call (902) 368-7289
PEI Organic Forum: 2020 – An Organic Vision for PEI
Join ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network) and the PEI COPC (Certified Organic Producers’ Co-op) for an opportunity to network with Island organic stakeholders and provide your input on the direction of organics on the Island, creating a vision and action plan to move organics forward. This event is FREE and includes dinner (donation to cover food appreciated).
Monday, December 12, 2016 at 420 University Avenue (Farm Centre). MORE
Livestock
Feedlots sought to take in TB-quarantined cattle
Prairie cattle producers whose herds are stuck under federal quarantine while officials trace out cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) could soon have a option to house animals at an approved feedlot. MORE
Tories, cattlemen’s group, call for faster aid in wake of bovine TB quarantine
Faster aid mechanisms are needed for farmers dealing with livestock emergencies, the federal Conservatives and a cattle rancher’s organization said Friday amid an escalating bovine tuberculosis quarantine in western Canada. MORE
Cattle Imports from Canada to US Down from Last Year
Preliminary data on live animal imports from Canada to the US are collected by USDA-APHIS and published by USDA-AMS, according to the latest Daily Livestock Report is published by Steiner Consulting Group. MORE
Regenerative Grazing Improves Soil Health and Plant Biodiversity
Regenerative grazing practices improve soil quality and pasture diversity, as the Spain-based European LIFE Regen Farming project, due to end this year, has been able to show. MORE
Cattle, hog futures extend rally on packer demand
U.S. cattle and hog futures extended gains to fresh multi-month highs on Friday, buoyed by technical buying and strong demand from beef and pork packers, traders said. MORE
Canadian Farms Converting to Group Sow Housing Accelerates
A scientist with the Prairie Swine Centre says, as Canadian Pig Code of Practice 2024 deadline for converting to group sow housing approaches, the level of interest in making the change is accelerating, writes Bruce Cochrane. MORE
Olymel buys Alberta hog farming operation
Pork and poultry processor Olymel has tightened the links in the hog supply chain for its Alberta pork plant by buying supplier Pinnacle Farms. MORE
US Feeder Pig Imports from Canada Up from Last Year
Preliminary data on live animal imports from Canada to the US are collected by USDA-APHIS and published by USDA-AMS. MORE
US Hog Slaughter Up From Last Week
This week’s hog slaughter totaled 2.531 million head, up 3.2 per cent from last week, up 5.7 per cent from the same week last year, and if not revised, the second most ever in a week behind the 2,532,244 head slaughtered the week ending on November 5, 2016, write Ron Plain and Scott Brown, Ag Economics, MU. MORE
UK Pig Production Costs Remain Above Competitors
Average pig production costs in Great Britain fell by 6 per cent in 2015, to £1.33/kg, but even bigger falls in other EU countries meant that GB costs remained among the highest in Europe. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – November 24 HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Friday, November 25 HERE
Potatoes
MANITOBA BREAKS SPUD HARVEST RECORD FOR SECOND YEAR
A bountiful potato harvest in Manitoba this year smashed yield records for the second consecutive year. MORE
PMRA PROPOSES PHASE-OUT OF IMIDACLOPRID USE
Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is proposing to phase-out all the agricultural and a majority of other outdoor uses of imidacloprid over three to five years. MORE
Limited supplies of yellow, red and white potatoes
“When it comes to russet potatoes, product is moving and the market has recently been stable on their pricing,” says Ken Gad of South Easton, MA-based Cambridge Farms Inc. MORE
New transparent upright packaging for potatoes
“The trend for smaller packaging has been happening for a while. We always want to help our customers find new solutions. MORE
Worldwide exclusive sales agreement signed for potato defect cutter
Dutch industrial equipment manufacturer Optiserve has granted worldwide exclusivity to FAM – European market leader in industrial cutting solutions – for the sale of its Glide defect cutter. MORE
Yield increase in (seed) potatoes with Restrain ethylene
Ter Brinke BV from Creil, the Netherlands, and Restrain have thought of a unique concept in order to get more stems and tubers on potato plants. MORE
2016 GB potato production estimated down 5% at 5.22 million tonnes
AHDB Potatoes’ first provisional estimate of total production1 in Great Britain for the 2016 crop year is 5.22 million tonnes2, down 5% from 2015. MORE
AHDB Estimates Potato Production at 5.22Mt in Great Britain
AHDB Potatoes’ first provisional estimate of total production in Great Britain for the 2016 crop year is 5.22 million tons, down 5% from 2015. MORE
Asia-Pacific Is the Fastest-growing Region in the Industrial Starch Market
The industrial starch market in the Asia-Pacific region is driven by the increasing consumption of starch, including potato starch, its derivatives and sweeteners in China and India. The consumption of starch in China accounts for nearly half of the region’s starch consumption. MORE
Tong to present latest range at machinery show LAMMA
Tong Engineering is once again exhibiting at the UK’s largest farm machinery show LAMMA, to present its latest range of equipment for 2017, on stand R37. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American grain/oilseed review: Canola ends higher ahead of the weekend
ICE Futures Canada canola ended higher on Friday, underpinned by follow-through buying. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Friday: Canola futures prices higher, barley unchanged HERE
Warm weather enables significant canola progress
Much of the late harvest is coming off quite wet, making storage the next big challenge MORE
Exports support soybeans after U.S. holiday
Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures rose on Friday to a new four-month high as stronger-than-expected weekly exports and an easing dollar provided support as trading resumed after a holiday closure. MORE
AM markets: US biofuel boost sends palm oil to 4-year high HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Restricted zone tightens for Algonquin wolf hunting
Farmers will be able to protect their livestock and families from Algonquin wolves in any areas and hunting will only be restricted in areas near four parks, allaying some concerns of farmers after the wolf was declared a threatened species. MORE
Potash Corp. cutting 140 jobs, planning temporary layoffs amid low prices
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan is cutting 140 jobs and temporarily laying off an undetermined number of other workers as the company reduces output amid weak prices. MORE
How good are your HR skills? Is it time to upgrade?
Not only are our farms getting bigger and more complex, but farm families are also getting smaller as farming couples have fewer kids, just like other Canadians. MORE
Better Data Better Management to Improve Competitiveness
Agriculture is at the start of a digital revolution and to advance it will need to embrace and understand the increasing amount of data that is being collected and is available, writes Chris Harris. MORE
Regular Updates
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Comments – November 25 HERE
FCC Express – November 25 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – November 23 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Friday, November 25 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
ACORN, Atlantic Canada’s Organic Regional Network
SEEDS OF CHANGE: Changing Climate, Changing Agriculture – the annual ACORN Conference and Trade Show! ACORN’s conference is a fun, three-day event that brings together organic and sustainable farmers, processors and businesses from across the region and beyond. MORE
FCC Ag Knowledge Exchange
Date: December 6, 2016
Location: Charlottetown, PEI
Hosted by: FCC Charlottetown Office
Topic: Tax and the Corporate Farm, presented by Lance Stockbrugger
Register: HERE
Information Session – Workers Compensation Board – Coverage for Farmers
Effective January 1, 2017, all farms will be required to have WCB coverage under the Workers Compensation Act. For more information, please join us on
Wednesday, December 7th 12:00 – 5:00pm
Farm Centre – 420 University Avenue
For more information please call (902) 368-7289
PEI Organic Forum: 2020 – An Organic Vision for PEI
Join ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network) and the PEI COPC (Certified Organic Producers’ Co-op) for an opportunity to network with Island organic stakeholders and provide your input on the direction of organics on the Island, creating a vision and action plan to move organics forward. This event is FREE and includes dinner (donation to cover food appreciated).
Monday, December 12, 2016 at 420 University Avenue (Farm Centre). MORE
Information Session
A. Grain & Pulse Solutions would like to invite interested agricultural producers to an information session to discuss future Pulse acres, mainly on Prince Edward Island and expanding into Atlantic Canada.
Tuesday, December 13th 1pm-3pm
PEI Farm Centre, 420 University Ave (rooms 105-106)
Green and Yellow Field Pea 2017 expansion of acreage throughout PEI and the Atlantic Provinces will be the main focus. Faba bean production acreage will also be discussed in addition to winter pulse crop possibilities.
Discussions will consist of:
Introduction of W. A. Grain & Pulse Solutions, who we are and what we do.
Rotational benefits of Pulse crops.
Review of 2016 crop year results, best practice and lessons learned.
Introduction of new pulse varieties, both production and trial.
Marketing, export and value add potential for PEI and Atlantic Canada.
Results of Northern Ontario/Quebec and Western programs.
