Local, Regional, Canadian News
Summerside broth business opening market for local farmers
Two years ago, Mike was laid off. The couple had a newborn to feed. They had a small farm, so they turned to it out of necessity. MORE
The Canadian Potato Museum received a cheque for $30,000 at the Sobeys tradeshow in Halifax on Monday, April 3rd from Sobeys and W.P. Griffin Inc.
Over the past 5 years, the two companies share to make a 25 cent donation to the potato museum for every bag of Canadian Heritage brand russet potatoes W.P. Griffin sells through Sobeys stores in Atlantic Canada during February – Potato Month. This latest contribution brings the total to $172,500 raised for the Canadian Potato Museum located in O’leary, PEI.
The main contest sponsors included: Sobeys, W.P. Griffin Inc, The Holman Grand Hotel, The Canadian Potato Museum and the PEI Potato Board.
The 2017 grand prize winner is Peter Whitley from Corner Brook, NL this year. His grand prize includes 2 night stay at the Holman Grand Hotel, Restaurant & Spa vouchers, Bridge pass and admission tickets to the museum and spending money. ARV is $1400 for the grand prize.
An additional 9 secondary prizes and 50 tertiary prizes were awarded to other contestants. Congratulations to all of them!
New rules worry small farms selling across provincial borders
Owners of a small farm in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, who sell produce weekly at New Brunswick’s Dieppe Farmers Market worry they may soon get caught up in new regulations proposed by the CFIA. MORE
Professional scarecrows watch over Quebec’s fields as spring migration begins
Their honks may announce the return of spring, but not everyone welcomes back the hundreds of thousands of migrating geese that appear alongside the warmer weather. MORE
Saskatchewan budget seen as costly touch for farms
Saskatchewan’s general farm organization is consulting its farmer members on less-discussed features of last month’s provincial budget, while warning them to brace for impact from new budget-related costs.
The Agricultural Producers Association MORE
Science gets profile, few details, in budget
Any attention paid to research is good for agriculture, says the CEO of the Agriculture Institute of Canada MORE
Rhubarb season is almost here
We all eagerly look forward to the first tastes of spring from our gardens, keeping our eye on the asparagus patch, the chives and that clump of winter onions. MORE
Increase in Manitoba farmland values slowing, says FCC
The biggest driver is crop receipts and unlike in the U.S. they are projected to be positive in Canada in 2016 MORE
Large, commercial… and organic
Agri-Fusion says its choice to go organic is a business no-brainer, with a collaborative new management design to make sure it pays MORE
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/
Draft National Plant and Animal Health Strategy Ready For Consultation
FPT Governments, Industry, Academia and others have partnered together to develop a Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada to protect Canada’s plant and animal resources. The Strategy is intended to protect plants and animals from new and emerging risks by focusing efforts on coordinating partner actions to collaborate and provide a more effective approach to risk prevention, mitigation, response and recovery.
The draft Strategy is currently available on the CFIA website (http://bit.ly/2oaMOZg).
Do you support the Strategy and its implementation?
Do you have feedback?
You can get involved and have your say! Join the conversation in one of the following ways until April 30th:
- Read the draft Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada (http://bit.ly/2pxxve2)
- Complete a 20 minute questionnaire (http://bit.ly/2pae5zF)
- Suggest edits and improvements (http://bit.ly/2nIDz78)
- Attend a Webinar (http://bit.ly/2oaQfzh)
- Help implement the Strategy (http://bit.ly/2p0w8II)
- Follow the conversation on Twitter @CFIA_Canada
- Join the conversation on social media using #CanPAH
Livestock
Renewed confidence lifts feeder cattle market
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$5 above week-ago levels on average; stronger buying interest was noted on short-keep cattle with prices quoted $5 to as much as $8 higher. MORE
Manitoba Bison Association awards industry leader honour
Jamie “Malone” Moran is the latest recipient of the Bill Lenton Memorial Award from the Manitoba Bison Association. MORE
Live cattle climb seventh straight session
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle rose on Monday for the seventh consecutive session, boosted by improved wholesale beef demand and futures’ discounts to recent cash prices, traders said. MORE
Increase in Feeder Cattle Contract Prices
In the futures markets last week, the April Live Cattle contract posted much stronger prices week-over-week as it was forced to catch-up with the cash market, deferred contracts also gained ground, according to Steiner Consulting Group, DLR Division, Inc. MORE
Cattle Prices Continue to Drive Forward
IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods said the cattle trade is continuing to drive forward with the base price for steers at €4.00/kg and heifers at €4.10/kg. MORE
More Australian Beef Set to Enter China
Australian beef suppliers and exporters are poised to feed Chinese consumers with more fresh meat than ever, thanks to the bilateral agreement signed by the two countries in March. MORE
Compliance with Mandatory Swine Movement Reporting Continues to Build
The Manager of PigTrace Canada reports compliance with mandatory swine movement reporting continues to build, according to Bruce Cochrane. MORE
Additional US Pork Processing Capacity Increases Importance of Exports
The Past president of Minnesota Pork says, with new pork processing capacity coming on line in the United States, American pork producers will become even more dependant on the ability to export product, Bruce Cochrane reports. MORE
What Can Big Data Do for the Swine Industry?
Big data is a hot topic in agriculture, and it’s no stranger to the swine industry. Researchers are identifying how to apply big data and modeling to improve swine health in North America. MORE
March Pork Value Up 3.8% Compared to Previous Month
In the futures markets last week, the April Live Cattle contract posted much stronger prices week-over-week as it was forced to catch-up with the cash market, deferred contracts also gained ground, according to Steiner Consulting Group, DLR Division, Inc. MORE
No Worries on Pig Price Front
More of a stand on feeling in the air as we approach the Easter bank holiday weekend, but demand remains firm from end to end, so no real worries on the price front as far as producers are concerned, writes Peter Crichton in his “Traffic Lights” commentary MORE
Young Athletes, Restaurateurs Given Taste of US Pork at Events
Taking a creative approach to reaching young consumers and foodservice companies in southern China, USMEF offered tasting samples of US pork at two separate events in Guangzhou. The promotional efforts, which included sharing of nutritional information and displays of various US pork cuts, were funded by the Pork Checkoff. MORE
US Pork, Beef Promoted at Japan Supermarket Trade Show
Working to get a head start on the summer menu preferences of Japanese consumers, USMEF offered tasting samples of American-style barbecue at Supermarket Trade Show 2017, an event sponsored by the New Supermarket Association of Japan in Chiba Prefecture. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – April 13 – HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Monday, April 17 HERE
Potatoes
Bananas and potatoes were the top selling items in US for 2016
According to the Nielsen Perishables Group, in the US bananas were the top selling item in 2016 with 4,641 units sold per store per week. Potatoes were the second top seller with 3,578 units sold per store per week. MORE
Potatoes Belong in Healthy Diets
Potato marketers long have said their product has been saddled with a bad health rap, but new research seems to be changing that scenario, according to a recent report from the Alliance for Potato Research & Education (APRE). MORE
US Potato Growers offer Trump suggestions to improve NAFTA
In a letter to the President of the United States, the National Potato Council (NPC) provided specific recommendations on how the Administration can improve the terms of trade for potato exports under NAFTA. MORE
First large-scale Solynta Hybrid seed potato trials highly successful
Potato breeder Solynta started a potato revolution nearly ten years ago: to develop and apply new breeding technologies to convert potatoes into a hybrid crop. Years of research went into the development of a hybrid potato. MORE
AHDB Potatoes appoints new chair and five new board members
AHDB Potatoes has announced the appointment of a new chair and the addition of five new members to its board, replacing five members who came to the end of their service this March. MORE
Cypriot potatoes becoming increasingly popular in Europe
“This is a product that stands out for the careful process of selection and packaging,” explains Gaetano Modugno, manager of the company Evergreen di Modugno Gaetano. MORE
Pakistan’s potato exports remain crippled after Russia’s import ban
Pakistan’s potato exports have remained low ever since Russia barred the entry of the vegetable in May 2015 on food safety grounds after detecting some diseased consignments. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grains/Oilseed Review: Canola ends mixed as cash basis improves
The ICE Futures Canada canola market finished mixed in technical trading on Wednesday. The nearby May contract was taking support from ideas that canola stocks are falling while the July contract was pressured by action in the Canadian currency and losses in Malaysian palm oil. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Monday: Canola futures prices higher, barley unchanged HERE
Trade sees record Canadian canola acres as possibility
Canadian farmers could be set to seed record-large canola acres in 2017, while wheat area is generally expected to be down on the year when Statistics Canada releases its first survey-based acreage estimates of the year on Friday. MORE
Palmer amaranth resistance more complex
Scientists are continuing to discover just what a difficult foe the weed Palmer amaranth can be. MORE
Wheat leads grains lower on U.S. rains
U.S. wheat futures fell on Monday as rains and mild temperatures in key growing areas of the U.S. Midwest and Plains bolstered expectations for harvest, traders said. MORE
AM markets: dollar, weather offer grain bulls a helping hand HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Meditating on the farm
Work better, sleep better, and bring some calm to your world MORE
Regular Updates
Rayglen Market Comments – April 12 HERE
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Reports – April 7 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Monday, April 17 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
Farmers Market Vendor’s Workshop
Please join us Tuesday, April 18th at the Holman’s Building, 250 Water Street, Summerside, from 9 am to 4pm for this enlightening Farmers Market Vendor’s Workshop.
The cost is $25.00 for Summerside Market Vendors and $35.00 for the other direct marketers, costs includes, entrance, workbooks, and lunch.
To pre-registrar please call 902-303-1103 or email summersidefarmersmarket@gmail.com
Sign-up before April 10th, 2017 to reserve your seat for this incredible opportunity and kick off the start to the summer season. MORE
Atlantic Green Expo
The first ever in Atlantic Canada!
Presented by Charlottetown company e365,
Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23 at the UPEI, School of Sustainable Design Engineering.
Atlantic Green Expo will showcase green solutions from eco-friendly exhibitors covering topics
such as clean and energy saving technologies, organic farming, eco-friendly products, transportation, watersheds and more. Educational sessions will be held throughout the Expo for
people interested in making more environmentally sound decisions when choosing products and
services.
Atlantic Green Expo will also feature Keynote speakers and activities for children. Visit Atlantic
Green Expo website for further information at http://atlanticgreenexpo.com/
Institute of Canada (AIC) is hosting a national conference titled “Agriculture Innovation in a changing environment”
Addressing the topic of climate change and agriculture.
April 24-26, 2017 in Winnipeg, MB MORE
Atlantic Farm Women Conference
April 28 & 29 at the Delta Halifax, N.S.
Register before March 31 registration fee is $90 plus you will be entered to win your conference registration free. After March 31, registration will be $115.
To register: http://atlanticfarmwomen.weebly.com/-registration.html
Agenda on line: http://atlanticfarmwomen.weebly.com/agenda.html
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
