Canola at the cotyledon stage. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Cold, snowfall not likely to hurt Alta. crops

CNS Canada — Cold temperatures that brought some snow and frost to some parts of Alberta overnight won’t likely cause much damage to crops. “Most of our crops aren’t up yet; there’s been a fair bit of seeding going on, but I haven’t seen any emerged crops yet. So, it’s pretty much a non-issue at […] Read more







(Laura Rance photo)

Flaxseed acres likely to top official estimates

CNS Canada — The relative strength in flaxseed bids, recent uncertainty in other cropping options and a general need to mitigate risk could see a few more acres sway towards the oilseed in Western Canada this spring, according to some market watchers. Statistics Canada recently forecast flaxseed plantings for 2015-16 at 1.63 million acres, which […] Read more


(Alberta Farmer Express photo by Jennifer Blair)

Clubroots beating all resistant canolas across Alta.

A study of 27 canola fields across Alberta has found 16 infected with clubroot pathotypes able to cause “high levels” of the disease — in canola plants with clubroot-resistant genetics. What’s more, the clubroot pathogen isolated from “many” of the infected fields in the study was virulent on all clubroot-resistant canola cultivars, the Canola Council of Canada […] Read more

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Benigno Aquino, president of the Philippines, leave Parliament Hill at the end of Aquino’s visit to Ottawa. (Deb Ransom photo courtesy PMO)

Canada, Philippines to talk about free trade talks

Canada and the Philippines have launched “exploratory discussions” toward a possible free trade agreement, from which Canadian livestock and grain producers could expect to gain. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Philippines’ President Benigno Aquino announced the discussions Friday in Ottawa during Aquino’s state visit, which ends Saturday. A Canada-Philippines free trade agreement “would strengthen […] Read more


(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Crop tour results boost wheat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Friday, supported by results from an annual crop tour that projected below-average yields in Kansas, the top production state for the grain, traders said. End-of-week short covering and some bargain buying following a 1.4 per cent decline on Thursday also buoyed prices. Corn and soybeans firmed […] Read more