Local, Regional, Canadian News
April Member Profile – George and Melaney Matheson – HERE
The MacInnis Family-Dairy Farming on Prince Edward Island for Centuries
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is proud to present the book Dairy Farmers, Deeply Rooted for a Strong Future, which features, representing Prince Edward Island, the MacInnis family, who have been farming on the Island for over 200 hundred years. MORE
Is Ag in the Classroom a corporate shill? Far from it
Classrooms across the country were getting some special visitors in March as volunteers for the non-profit organization Ag in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) did their bit to promote Ag Literacy Month. 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/
Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers Annual Meeting
The Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers cordially invites you to attend its 10th Annual Meeting.
This meeting is set for Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 pm at the Farm Centre in Charlottetown.
Please RSVP by calling Rinnie at (902)368-2229, or by emailing cattlemen@eastlink.ca
Department of Agriculture & Fisheries – 2017 Agricultural Pesticide Class D
Seed Piece Treatment Training Course
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Location: Rodd Royalty (next to the Peter Pan), Charlottetown
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Course starts at 9 a.m. till 12 noon
Cost $75.00 (The fee for a five (5) year Seed Piece Certificate is $75. Please bring this payment with you and make cheques payable to the Minister of Finance)
Individuals who are directly involved with seed piece treatment of agricultural crops, including potatoes and cereals require a Class D Seed Piece Treatment Certificate. No exam is required, but you must attend a half day training session to receive a Seed Piece Class D Certificate.
Please Note: If you hold a valid Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate,
a Class D Certificate is NO LONGER REQUIRED. Must be 18 years of age for certificate.
As space is limited, please pre-register by calling the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries at 902-368-4880
Department of Agriculture & Fisheries – 2017 Agricultural Pesticide Loader / Mixer Training
Loader/Mixer Training
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Location: Rodd Royalty (next to the Peter Pan), Charlottetown
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Course starts at 9 a.m. till 12 noon
Cost $50.00 (The fee for a five (5) year Loader/Mixer Certificate is $50. Please bring this payment with you and make cheques payable to the Minister of Finance.)
Individuals who do not apply pesticides, but are directly involved with the mixing of a non-domestic pesticide for the application of agricultural crops, must have a Pesticide Loader/Mixer Certificate. No exam is required, but you must attend a half day training session to receive a Loader/Mixer Certificate. Must be 18 years of age for certification .
Please Note: If you hold a valid Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate,
a Loader/Mixer Certificate is NO LONGER REQUIRED.
As space is limited, please pre-register by calling 902-368-4880.
Livestock
Feeder cattle upward trend stalls
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Noticeable slippage was noted in shorter-keep cattle while lighter weight categories experienced spurts of $2-$3 above last week’s prices. MORE
Plan for Next Pork Industry Research Initiative Moves to Next Phase
The Chair of Swine Innovation Porc says planning for pork industry research to be conducted under the next Federal Provincial Territorial Agricultural Policy Framework has moved to the next stage, according to Bruce Cochrane. MORE
European Parliament to Raise Brazilian Meat Scandal
Following strong lobbying by IFA in Brussels over the last two weeks, IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods said the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee Czeslaw Siekierski tabled an oral question for the plenary agenda in Strasbourg yesterday (Monday) afternoon on ‘how the Brazilian revelations will impact ongoing trade talks with Mercosur countries?’ and whether it was ‘now time to review bilateral negotiations and remove meat from the trade agenda?’ MORE
How to Deliver Plant-Based Compounds for Maximum Benefit to Animals
As phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) become increasingly accepted by the feed and livestock industries, there is greater scrutiny as to whether products can fulfill the expected benefits. MORE
CME hog futures slump on pork demand fears
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Monday, pressured by concerns that the seasonal bump in supplies might further hurt cash prices and curb retail pork buying, said traders. MORE
Number of US Market Hogs Up 4.4% Y-O-Y
Overall, in terms of futures market prices, the “Quarterly Hogs and Pigs” report by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) report is classified as neutral, that is it should not cause significant futures market price changes, writes Steiner Consulting Group, DLR Division, Inc. MORE
South East Asia Hog Market
– Nguyen Van Hung, Genesus Technical Sales Manager for Vietnam, attended the Embassy of Canada roundtable meeting with the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC), on 28 February in Hanoi, writes Paul Anderson, General Manager, South East Asia. MORE
Pork Prices Continue Remarkable Rally
Prices are continuing their remarkable rally which has seen the SPP rise from 112p to 151.7p over the past 12 months or so, with further increases forecast, writes Peter Crichton in his “Traffic Lights” commentary for 31 March 2017. MORE
Chicken farmers have something to crow about
The latest audit of the animal care program operated by Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) by third-party auditor NSF International says the program is working effectively and consistently. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – March 30 – HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Monday, April 3 HERE
Potatoes
SYNGENTA LAUNCHES APROVIA TOP FUNGICIDE FOR FOLIAR DISEASE CONTROL IN POTATOES
Syngenta Canada Inc. has launched of Aprovia Top fungicide, offering Canadian potato growers a new tool for foliar early blight control and brown spot suppression. MORE
SOIL HEALTH KEY FOR LONG-TERM POTATO PRODUCTION
Across North America, most potato crop yields have been on the rise in the past few decades. In parts of Canada though, data has revealed that yields in some areas have either decreased or remained stagnant, especially in New Brunswick. MORE
Potatoes USA International Marketing Committee reports on growing export opportunities
The Potatoes USA international marketing committee met prior to the Annual Meeting in Denver March 15 & 16. The committee heard how US potato exports have grown 183% in the past 20 years and now account for close to 20% of production. MORE
Bruise Prevention Begins Before Planting
Anything that makes separating soil from potatoes difficult during harvest and handling can increase the risk of bruise damage. Two of the biggest culprits in this battle are clods on medium- and fine-textured soils, and rocks in any soil type. MORE
Florida Crop ‘Beautiful’
Thanks to favorable growing weather, Florida potato growers expect good supplies of quality product. MORE
R.G. Impianti installs new potato sorting line in Algeria
A sorting and grading line for potatoes and onions in Algeria is one of the latest orders for R.G. Impianti, an Italian company which has been developing vegetable processing systems for over 30 years. MORE
Local mayor gets potato planting underway for PotatoEurope 2017
The potatoes that will be used in the live harvesting demonstrations during the PotatoEurope trade show, which will take place on 13 and 14 September in Emmeloord, the Netherlands, have been planted. MORE
Potato plant explodes in India
One person was killed and four others were injured in a blast after a potato cold storage facility exploded in Sangrur district in Punjab. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American grain/oilseed review: USDA data pressures canola, soy
ICE Futures Canada canola closed lower on Friday as a slew of data from the US lived up to bearish expectations. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Monday: Canola futures prices mostly higher, barley unchanged HERE
Get an early start on preventing late blight
Commercial potato growers, market gardeners and home gardeners were hit hard by late blight last year, but there are steps to take to avoid a repeat in 2017, say Manitoba Agriculture staff. MORE
Crown rust comes after oats
In a production agriculture world where corn and soybeans have dominated the scene for much of the last 25 years, oats are supposedly one of the forgotten crops. There have been attempts to revive the grain’s standing, including the formation of the Oat and Barley Council of Ontario back in the early 2000s, as well as consumer-based promotions of the crop’s value as a food grain. MORE
Corn at three-week high on U.S. area outlook
U.S. corn futures hit a three-week high on Monday while soybeans set multi-month lows as traders continued to respond to a plantings forecast released Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, analysts said. MORE
Plants can tell friend from foe
It’s no tall tale — this plant senses the lack of a tail on hostile RNA and attacks MORE
German researchers sequence rye genome for first time
Scientists in Germany have for the first time mapped the entire genome of rye, a cereal known for its hardy properties. MORE
AM markets: soy futures stabilise, helped by Argentine rains HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Dreyfus sees recovery after two-year profit slide
Louis Dreyfus’ core earnings fell for a second year in 2016 amid a persistent high supply of crops, but the agricultural commodity trader said a revamp of operations should help results this year. MORE
U.S. farm heartland lobbies to steer Trump away from Mexico trade war
Farmers in the U.S. agricultural heartland that helped elect Donald Trump are now pushing his administration to avoid a trade dispute with Mexico. MORE
Syrian agriculture faces US$16 billion bill from conflict
Syria’s six-year conflict has caused at least US$16 billion in damage to agriculture — about a third of the country’s GDP — a U.N. agency said on Monday, calling for more funds to salvage local food production as millions go hungry. MORE
IFA and UK Farming Unions Meet to Discuss Brexit
IFA President Joe Healy attended a meeting of UK farm leaders hosted by the Ulster Farmers’ Union in Co Down last week to discuss the implications of Brexit and to co-ordinate the approach of farm leaders to the negotiations. MORE
Regular Updates
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Reports – March 31 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – March 29 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Thursday, March 30 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
Department of Agriculture & Fisheries – 2017 Agricultural Pesticide Class D
Seed Piece Treatment Training Course
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Location: Rodd Royalty (next to the Peter Pan), Charlottetown
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Course starts at 9 a.m. till 12 noon
Cost $75.00 (The fee for a five (5) year Seed Piece Certificate is $75. Please bring this payment with you and make cheques payable to the Minister of Finance)
Individuals who are directly involved with seed piece treatment of agricultural crops, including potatoes and cereals require a Class D Seed Piece Treatment Certificate. No exam is required, but you must attend a half day training session to receive a Seed Piece Class D Certificate.
Please Note: If you hold a valid Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate,
a Class D Certificate is NO LONGER REQUIRED. Must be 18 years of age for certificate.
As space is limited, please pre-register by calling the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries at 902-368-4880
Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers Annual Meeting
The Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers cordially invites you to attend its 10th Annual Meeting.
This meeting is set for Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 pm at the Farm Centre in Charlottetown.
Please RSVP by calling Rinnie at (902)368-2229, or by emailing cattlemen@eastlink.ca
Department of Agriculture & Fisheries – 2017 Agricultural Pesticide Loader / Mixer Training
Loader/Mixer Training
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Location: Rodd Royalty (next to the Peter Pan), Charlottetown
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Course starts at 9 a.m. till 12 noon
Cost $50.00 (The fee for a five (5) year Loader/Mixer Certificate is $50. Please bring this payment with you and make cheques payable to the Minister of Finance.)
Individuals who do not apply pesticides, but are directly involved with the mixing of a non-domestic pesticide for the application of agricultural crops, must have a Pesticide Loader/Mixer Certificate. No exam is required, but you must attend a half day training session to receive a Loader/Mixer Certificate. Must be 18 years of age for certification .
Please Note: If you hold a valid Class A Pesticide Applicator Certificate,
a Loader/Mixer Certificate is NO LONGER REQUIRED.
As space is limited, please pre-register by calling 902-368-4880.
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
