July Member Profile – Roger O’Neill HERE
PEIFA Job Posting
The PEI Federation of Agriculture is seeking a full-time Farm and Food Care Coordinator. View the job posting HERE
PEIFA Golf Tournament
Thursday, August 10th – Countryview Golf Course. 9:00a.m. shotgun start. Includes 9 Holes of golf, cart and bbq steak dinner – $60.00 per person.
Contact Jennifer at 902-368-7289 or jmurphy@peifa.ca to register.
MUST PRE-REGISTER by August 4th.
Local, Regional, Canadian News
Beef for food banks celebrates Canada 150
Atlantic Beef Products is marking Canada’s 150th birthday with 150-kg donations of beef to Island food banks. MORE
Fall Flavours festival to celebrate 10th anniversary by getting even bigger
P.E.I.’s Fall Flavours festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary by expanding into three coastal communities. MORE
Farmers rattled after pigs, chickens stolen from central Nova Scotia farms
Someone is stealing the free-range pigs and chickens of central Nova Scotia — even leaving the remains of one pig behind after butchering it. MORE
Minister MacAulay Announces Appointment to the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal
Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced today the appointment of Luc Bélanger as Chairperson of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal. The appointment is for a five-year term effective July 17, 2017. MORE
Canadian, European studies link key pesticide to weakened honeybee hives
A new study by Canadian researchers has found that honeybees have been exposed to a controversial pesticide for much longer than previously thought at levels that have led to higher mortality and overall weakened health. MORE
Alberta should require mandatory farm safety training, says judge
Alberta should require farm safety training in agricultural schools and mandatory farm equipment checks following the death of a worker who was pulled into a grain machine, a report says. MORE
‘Unprecedented’ water levels bad for farmers, good for birds
Excessive rain and high water levels are affecting farmers and nature lovers differently in central and northern Alberta. MORE
Grants to support new food-processing jobs
The federal and provincial governments are providing more than $4 million for the expansion and development of Alberta’s Champion Petfoods production facility. MORE
Ottawa and Quebec Offering $70,000 in Financial Assistance to Les Gars De Saucisse/The Sausage Guys in Order to Support the Company’s Expansion and Modernization
Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Karine Vallières, MNA for Richmond, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Laurent Lessard, are providing financial assistance of up to $70,000 to Les Gars de saucisse/The Sausage Guys to support their project to implement a quality management system recognized by the GSFI (Global Food Safety Initiative). MORE
GROWING RELATIONSHIPS
In today’s ultra-fast, highly digitalized world, it’s sometimes easy to overlook how much real, human to human relationship still matters. In life, in business and in agriculture, taking time to communicate openly, develop trust and build rapport is vital to success. 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/
Livestock
US Beef Returning to Chinese Dining Tables
As Chinese and US representatives cut into a rib in Beijing on Friday to mark the return of US beef to China after a 14-year absence, customers in Shanghai also started to receive the US beef they had pre-ordered online via domestic retailers. MORE
Rabobank Beef Quarterly Q2 2017: Market Disruption Changing Trade Flows
Political upheaval in Brazil, a new trade agreement between the US and China, and proposed bans on slaughter in India: All involve the major bovine-exporting nations of the world and have the potential to cause material shifts in global trade. MORE
Health Advice Group Established for Calf Rearers
To reduce the costly impact of calf health problems, AHDB Beef & Lamb has formed an on-farm discussion group. MORE
Shortcomings in Brazilian Meat Industry Mean Inability to Deliver EU Standards
IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods said the mounting evidence of a lack of basic controls in the Brazilian meat industry leaves the EU with no choice but to remove Brazilian beef from the Mercosur talks. MORE
Supply Management: Setting the Record Straight
Campaign Research published the results of a poll on May 26th that asked Canadians whether or not they approve of supply management. The results were crystal clear: 75% of Canadians approve of supply management. MORE
Hogs rise on pork gains
U.S. lean hog futures climbed to fresh life-of-contract highs on Monday, gaining on bear-spreading as wholesale pork prices reached the highest levels in more than two years. MORE
Hog packing capacity increasing
After worries that there wouldn’t be enough packing plant capacity last fall, this year there are new plants coming on stream, including the Clemens Food Group close by at Coldwater, Michigan. MORE
German Pig Herd Stabilising
Following the marked decline in the German pig herd during 2016, provisional figures from the May pig census now indicate that numbers are stabilising, reports Bethan Wilkins, AHDB analyst. MORE
Pig Price Remains Stable But Higher Paid in Places
The Irish pig price remains stable at €1.70c/kg last week but spot loads have been paid in excess of this price and there are many suppliers that have done deals to supply pigs to their processor at higher prices. MORE
Federal response tightened for chronic wasting disease
Canadian ranchers raising cervids such as elk, deer and moose will soon have to get in on certification programs before they can be eligible for any federal help in the event of a chronic wasting disease (CWD) outbreak. MORE
Atlantic Stockyards Market Report – June 29 – HERE
*Scroll down to find current report
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Friday, June 30 HERE
Potatoes
Future Farm Looks at Potatoes, Wheat of Tomorrow
The Future Farm Project in eastern Oregon digs deeply into technology to experiment and forecast what tomorrow will look like for growers. Director Jeff Lorton says that wheat and potatoes are vital to this region, and gains are being made in both of those fields. MORE
Shades of Gray
It appears that every year potato growers in Idaho are faced with some kind of regional or statewide disease problem. MORE
N.C. Harvest Ramps Up
North Carolina’s summer harvest season is kicking off with the North Carolina Potato Associaiton’s summer meetings. MORE
Impact of Recent Weather Events on Michigan Potato Production
The weather has been much of the discussion this past week for Michigan agriculture. Related to potatoes there are two key events that will likely have some level of impact on Michigan production. MORE
The Smorgasbord: Sierra Rose
In this month’s Smorgasbord, we take a look at Sierra Rose, a gourmet yellow flesh/red skin potato for the specialty market, developed by Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. In production and culinary quality, Sierra Rose compares favorably to Yukon Gold and Red La Soda. MORE
University of Idaho reports light potato psyllid pressure
Pressure from the tiny, winged insects that spread zebra chip disease in potatoes has been light in Idaho this season, emboldening some potato farmers to scale back on their pesticide programs. MORE
West Australian Potato Growers want you to eat potatoes EVERY day…
A push by West Australian potato growers to get their spuds back on dinner plates every day to help ease a massive glut began Saturday night with the start of a prime-time television advertising campaign named Todatoes. MORE
Brexit may present challenges to Scottish Seed Potato Exporters
Seed potato growers for the United Kingdom who have been confident that crucial trade with Egypt and other non-EU markets would not be disrupted by Brexit may be in for a shock. MORE
French potato acreage continues to increase
Potato acreage increased by 5.3% in 2016 and will again increase by 5.1% this season. MORE
UK potato farmers warned of bumper crop this season
According to the industry levy body, AHDB Potatoes, the estimated total area planted with potatoes in Great Britain this season is just short of 300,000 acres. MORE
Zambia urgently needs to better regulate the import of potatoes and establish phytosanitary labs
Zambia and South Africa may be perfectly at peace, but farmers on either side of the Limpopo River – the border between the two countries – may be engaged in a trade war. MORE
Potato Growers in Hassan losing hope of good returns as lack of rain results in poor germination
Within 30 days into potato cultivation this year, growers in Hassan, Karnataka are losing hope of good returns in their field. MORE
Potato Industry Associations React to Regulation on Acrylamide Levels
Measures to reduce acrylamide levels in food took a step forward as new draft proposals outline “benchmark” mandatory levels for the industry. MORE
Sieglinde new potatoes popular in Germany
“The first batches of Sieglinde DOP new potatoes from Galatina became available in supermarkets on June 1st. MORE
Spunta most popular potato variety both in Italy and abroad
With approximately 60 hectares of open fields dedicated to the cultivation of potatoes and vegetables in the Trani area, the Agrilorusso family business deals with production as well MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grain/Oilseed Review: Canola climbs with soybeans following USDA
ICE Futures Canada canola contracts were up sharply on Friday, as a rally in the Chicago Board of Trade soy complex provided support. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Friday: Canola futures prices higher, barley unchanged HERE
Canadian pulse exporters get six-month waiver on pest treatment for India
India has issued a six-month extension allowing Canadian peas and lentils to be exported to the country without first being treated for pests. MORE
Alfalfa weevil still at high levels, root rot in soybeans reported
Alfalfa weevil continues to be reported at high levels in some alfalfa fields. MORE
Prairie wheat bids rise amid concerns over U.S. wheat
Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada posted gains during the week ended June 23, as continued concerns about yields and quality in the U.S. spring wheat crop pushed the market higher. MORE
Time to think about Western bean cutworm scouting
Now that the corn and the edible beans are moving into their rapid growth phase, it’s time to think about scouting for Western bean cutworm, says Michigan State University entomologist Christina DiFonzo. MORE
It’s not soil ‘quality’…
Terminology can make a difference, and using ‘health’ rather than ‘quality’ is helping bring together different interests to a common cause MORE
Wheat, corn, soy climb; spring wheat tops US$8
U.S. wheat, soybean and corn futures rose in an abbreviated session ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, buoyed by worries that hot and dry weather in the northern Plains spring wheat belt could spread into the western Midwest, analysts said on Friday. MORE
AM markets: ag bears show up in Asia, after their US pasting HERE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Not just a driverless tractor, but no tractor at all
While farmers have been waiting impatiently for equipment designers to commercialize the driverless tractor, Prairie inventor and entrepreneur Norbert Beaujot has found a way to ditch the tractor altogether. MORE
Farmers Hall restored to its former glory — and then some
It was once the heart of this farming community but by the early 1990s it looked like the last days were approaching for an old country hall on Hwy. 231 the locals called ‘Farmers.’ MORE
Brazilian top court justice upholds barring JBS asset sale
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has upheld a lower court decision that ordered the world’s largest meatpacker, JBS SA, to halt the sale of US$300 million worth of South American assets to Minerva SA , according to a court document. MORE
Are People ‘Rolling the Dice’ When it Comes to Food Safety?
A new study, conducted by a team of UK-based researchers led by the University of Liverpool known as the ENIGMA Project, has revealed the levels of bad behaviours in UK kitchens which increase the public’s risk of getting food poisoning. MORE
Regular Updates
FCC Express – June 30 HERE
Weekly PEI Agriculture Market Reports – June 30 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – June 29 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Thursday, June 29 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
3A Airbrakes Test Facilitation
***UPDATE–WE ARE NOW TAKING NAMES FOR OTHER DATES THAT MAYBE OFFERED FOR 3A TRAINING IF INTERESTED PLEASE GET YOUR NAME ON A WAITING LIST FOR THE NEXT TRAINING SESSIONS!! WE MAYBE OFFERING SESSIONS IN JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER***
From field to road…do you have employees that drive your trucks, but don’t have their licenses?
We are looking for experienced drivers that would like to obtain their Airbrakes and Class 3A license.
The PEI Agriculture Sector Council will be facilitating these two courses through JVI and Access.
This project will be processed through the Canada Job Grant and Skills PEI.
Draft Schedule:
Day 1- Airbrake theory
Day 2- Review of Airbrakes and Airbrake test (written on site), Preform a pre-use inspection
Day 3- Driving and Testing for Class 3A (time scheduled test on site)
Day 4- Driving and Testing for Class 3A (time scheduled test on site)
Requirements- must have valid truck driving experience, but not licensed & Medical completed and returned
Lunch will be provided
For more details on registration requirements, contact Laurie at 892-1091.
Registration is now open, limited seating available. To sign up, contact the PEI Agriculture Sector Council at 892-1091 or e-mail info@peiagsc.ca
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
