Livestock hide disposal threatens processor viability
Ontario sheep and cattle producers who work with many of the province’s independent meat processors could soon find themselves fully responsible for their livestock’s hides. In April, one of the few processing companies in the province that collects hides from small and medium-sized abattoirs, announced it was ceasing operations. It had been serving Ontario abattoirs… Read More
Politics lure prices higher — this week in the grain markets
As many western Canadian producers are passed the halfway point of seeding, American Midwestern farmers are still barely scratching dirt thanks to continuous rains. Grain markets have started to acknowledge some of this latter risk, in addition to the benefit of a second round of trade war aid from President Trump. Looking more continental, the… Read More
WLPIP calf price insurance program sign-up ends May 30
Time is running out for prairie producers to sign up for this year’s calf price insurance program. The sign up period began in early February and closes May 30, 2019. Bill Hoar, product owner with Western LPIP (livestock price insurance program), says that livestock producers can sign up over the phone, at a financial services… Read More
Beef Market Update: Exports sizzle while long weekend weather fizzles
The May long weekend is the official kick off to the summer barbecue season, but the wet, cool weather trend doesn’t look like it’s going to let up for much of the country. Will this deter beef consumption? Will African swine fever’s impact on the hog markets boost beef retail sales through competitive pricing? Not… Read More
Plant corn deeper for even emergence and higher yields
It might seem counter-intuitive, but slowing down corn emergence may actually boost yields. Last fall, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson took a close look at corn research plots and concluded that optimum distance between corn plants matters far less than uniform emergence. He also discovered that achieving perfectly uniform emergence takes planting deep. We already know… Read More
Building soil organic matter is only going to get harder
Ten years of soil data suggests that regardless of soil texture, pH, or crop rotation, there’s one thing that impacts soil carbon more than anything else — temperature. Dr. Ed Gregorich, soil research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) based at Ottawa, Ont., is drawing on data from a long-term, national soil study. Gregorich… Read More
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 15: Spring stover baling, starter fertilizer bumps, leaf burn risk, and stems per foot of row
Planting is rolling on, even if it is verrrry slowly for parts of Ontario. Meanwhile, crops are emerging well in many parts of the Prairies. This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word tackles some timely topics, such as creative ways to apply N to hungry wheat, why starter fertilizer is almost always worth it on corn, and… Read More
How wide is the soybean burndown window?
If you have weeds pop up prior to planting soybeans you can control them with a burndown herbicide application. But what happens when rain and wind conspire to prevent you from applying a burndown and you have to control weeds after planting? That’s the situation many Ontario growers are facing in 2019 as the wet… Read More
Add “and” to the farming conversation
Investing in public trust without a company logo attached is just one of the ways our farm and food system can move the conversation forward, says Crystal Mackay, former president of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). While the entire conversation over social license and public trust is relatively new to Canada’s food system,… Read More
Farm groups call for government action in increasingly unpredictable trade environment
$15 billion in aid. That’s the amount the U.S. government announced on Monday for its producers through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) as compensation for lost income stemming from the country’s trade war with China. This is not the first, but the second round of aid given, as a trade agreement eludes U.S. President Trump… Read More
Wheat School: Establishing wheat mortality rates
Seeding; the time of year when we put the crop in the ground, help it as much as we can, and then when we can do nothing more for the upcoming crop — we wait. Producers are continuously wondering how many of the seeds put in the ground will emerge and become viable plants. In… Read More
Soybean School: Planting delays put the squeeze on long-season varieties
As May 15 approaches and the rain continues to fall across Ontario, growers need to start thinking about whether they should be dialling back their chosen soybean maturity range. Research shows growing a longer-season variety can put an additional four to five bushels in the bin if they’re planted by mid-May, says AGRIS Co-operative agronomist… Read More
What farm animals do when we aren’t looking
Farm animals — we love them and we care for them, putting in long hours to keep them fed and safe. Sometimes they also do the most ridiculous things and make us laugh. In their honour, we’ve compiled a list of some of the ridiculous things our community’s animals have gotten up to around the… Read More
Trade rules have to matter, especially for trade-dependent Canada
By Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada The world has become protectionist. There is, justifiably, much focus on issues with China. But it is not just China. Canadian agriculture commodities are blocked in India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam and face issues in key markets such as Peru. Countries are turning inward, finding new ways… Read More
Give your soils a hug — grow corn, not soybeans
So your winter wheat crop is looking rough and you plan to abandon it and plant another crop when the field dries up. What will you plant? RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson has one word for you — corn. When it comes to the health of Ontario soils, Johnson believes farmers in the province are already… Read More
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Japan lifts age restriction on imported beef
May 20 2019
Since closing its borders to beef from animals over thirty months of age following the 2003 BSE finding in Canada, Japan has announced it will now...Read more
Canadian soybeans held up at Chinese port
May 17 2019
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RealAg Radio, May 17: Steel, aluminum tariffs to be lifted, WLPIP, and beef on the BBQ this long weekend
May 17 2019
Happy May long weekend, or “May 2-4” as those in Ontario call it. For today’s RealAg Radio show, host Shaun Haney has the following guests:...Read more