Richardson Pioneer agronomist Jeneen Ewen shared this photo with us last summer showing what turned out to be stemphylium blight in a southwestern Saskatchewan lentil crop.

Guenther: Farmers aim to keep pulse diseases in check

Rain makes grain, the saying goes — but too much spring rain and farmers are likely to see disease in pulses. That’s certainly been the case in Saskatchewan, where farmers in most regions are actively scouting for, or in some cases spraying for, crop diseases, according to the provincial crop report. So which leaf diseases […] Read more

(Lentils.ca)

More pulse acres expected to affect handling dynamics

CNS Canada –– Canadian grain handlers are curious how dynamics and timing in the rail freight sector will be managed in the upcoming season, given an expected boost in pulse crop production . For the moment, however, Prairie grain movement has dropped to seasonal lows. This year’s pulse area will likely be the largest on record, according to early estimates […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan names new deputy ag minister

A promotion for Saskatchewan’s deputy minister of agriculture leads to a promotion for one of the ministry’s assistant deputies. Doug Moen, who’s leaving his post as deputy minister to Premier Brad Wall at the end of June, on Friday announced Rick Burton as the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture, effective July 1. As the […] Read more

(WholeFoodsMarket.com)

New Whole Foods chain 365 faces tough mission

Los Angeles | Reuters — Whole Foods Market’s 365 grocery chain offers lower prices and more technology than the company’s namesake supermarkets, but experts say the fledgling brand must beat its many rivals without hijacking customers from its parent. 365, which debuted on Wednesday with a bright and airy store in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake […] Read more


Red lentils. (Pulse Canada photo)

Some Prairie pulses’ limited releases under review

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers wants your opinion on how they release pulse varieties through exclusive tenders. The grower group contributes levy funds to the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre pulse breeding program. In return, Sask Pulse holds exclusive commercial rights to varieties developed in the program. Most new varieties are released royalty-free to seed growers […] Read more

(Todd Rosenberg photo via KraftFoodsGroup.com)

Canada, U.S. to collaborate on food safety controls

Food safety officials in Canada and the U.S. have formally recognized each other’s respective food safety controls under a cross-border co-operation pact. The two countries last week announced their new food safety systems recognition arrangement, reached during meetings of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council (RCC) held Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, D.C. The two countries […] Read more


Desi chickpeas. (PulseCanada.com)

New-crop chickpea prices strong, but seed short

CNS Canada — Production issues in growing regions have driven chickpea prices higher, one analyst says, but limited seed means Canadian producers may not be able to take advantage of strong new-crop pricing. “Bottom line, the world is out of chickpeas,” said Colin Young of Midwest Investments. “As the year progressed everyone was hoping the […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Farmland fundamentals potentially bearish: FCC

Having tracked more double-digit percentage increases in Canadian farmland prices through 2015, Canada’s federal farm lender sees factors lining up for those values to retreat. Farm Credit Canada’s latest Farmland Values Report, released Monday, logged a 10.1 per cent increase in average farmland values in Canada in 2015, down from a 14.3 per cent rise in […] Read more

Red lentils. (PulseCanada.com)

Saskatchewan lentil acres seen rising

CNS Canada — The International Year of the Pulses is certainly living up to its name, as territories capable of growing them look to cash in on India’s insatiable demand for supplies. However, it seems not all pulses are created equal, as lentils appear to be the main driver, with peas coming in second. “It […] Read more