
Weather
![“There’s even a question of would harvest equipment be available for 2023. There will be some equipment available, but will it be what you want and [what] fits your needs?” – Bill Campbell, Keystone Agricultural Producers. Photo: iStock/Getty Images](https://static.canadiancattlemen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/23095310/combines-3-silhouette-iStock-150x150.jpg)
Manitoba crop report: dry week helps advance harvest
Cattle producers move herds to hay fields to graze regrowth
MarketsFarm – Dry conditions across crop-growing areas in Manitoba helped the province’s annual harvest get off to a good start during the week ended Aug. 20. Much of the eastern, southern and central regions received two millimetres of precipitation at most during the week with several locations receiving no rainfall at all. The northwest region […] Read more

Panama Canal’s drought-induced bottleneck eases
Some vessels detour; transits per day still reduced
Panama City | Reuters — A backlog of vessels waiting to pass the Panama Canal due to drought-related restrictions has eased in recent days after the waterway’s authority authorized more non-booked ships to pass and as others are choosing alternate routes to avoid the delays. The Panama Canal Authority last week opened two additional slots […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease, heat impacts in focus
Seasonal hog supplies pressure futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday after two sessions higher, as traders watch to see the impact of sweltering temperatures on slaughter-ready cattle, analysts said. “The heat does hurt the weights. That’s been an issue for a lot of the south, for a lot of the summer,” said […] Read more

Climate change made Quebec wildfires twice as likely, scientists say
Early snow disappearance led to earlier fires
London | Reuters — The fires that tore through the province of Quebec between May and July were made at least twice as likely by climate change, scientists said on Tuesday. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, also made the fires as much as 50 per cent more intense, according to the […] Read more

Saskatchewan front-loads AgriRecovery funding
Joint federal-provincial program development still underway
The Saskatchewan government says it will put up to $70 million toward “immediate measures” to support livestock producers, ahead of an expected federal-provincial AgriRecovery program for that purpose. Application forms are expected to be available via Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) “in the coming days” for funding “to help offset extraordinary costs of feeding livestock […] Read more

Livestock tax deferral list begins in West for 2023
AgriRecovery work 'progressing,' feds say
The level of drought in parts of Western Canada so far this year has given the federal government a head start in drafting its list of jurisdictions where producers can get in on the livestock tax deferral provision. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Monday announced an initial list of designated regions for the provision for […] Read more

AAFC cuts production numbers on drought
Wheat production figures reduced, corn up
MarketsFarm — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada published its August outlook for principal field crops on Friday, with some notable changes. Production for several cereal, oilseed and pulse crop were reduced, leading to revisions in exports, domestic usage and ending stocks. The report pointed to drought in southern Alberta and western Saskatchewan for the downward move. […] Read more

Prairie Forecast Update: Southern areas may get Hilary’s leftovers
Issued Aug. 20, covering Aug. 20-23
An interesting weather pattern is currently in place across western North America with Tropical Storm Hilary taking an unusual northerly track as it comes in off the Pacific Ocean south of California. Tropical storms or hurricanes in that region normally do one of two things: they either recurve back out into the Pacific, or move […] Read more

B.C. wildfires intensify, evacuation orders double
Rain helping slow fires near Yellowknife
Kelowna | Reuters — Forest fires in British Columbia intensified on Saturday, with the number of people under evacuation orders doubling from a day earlier, as authorities warned of difficult days ahead. The province declared a state of emergency on Friday to access temporary authoritative powers to tackle fire-related risks, as out-of-control fires ripped through […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans advance on hot, dry forecast
Corn overcomes pressure over Mexico spat
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures approached a two-week high on Thursday on concerns that hot, dry weather in forecasts could reduce the upcoming U.S. harvest. The U.S. has little room for crop losses due to unfavourable weather because the government already projects tight soybean supplies, analysts said. Some worries over […] Read more