MarketsFarm — Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan could be in for a cooler-than-normal summer, according to the latest long-range outlook from Environment Canada. The latest seasonal forecast from the government agency, released Tuesday, calls for a 40 to 80 per cent chance of below normal temperatures from June through August across all of the agricultural regions […] Read more
Environment Canada sees cool summer for Manitoba
U of G team trying to develop biodegradable agriculture plastics
Small-scale on-farm trials with silage covers and mulch show potential
Research at the University of Guelph aims to perfect a biodegradable film that could eliminate the need to find a recycling market or contribute to landfill waste for plastic bunk silo covers and horticultural mulch. The work is being led by associate professor of engineering Dr. Erica Pensini with collaboration from Prof. Alejandro Marangoni in […] Read more
Wastewater regulation eased for Nova Scotia on-farm processing
Nova Scotia has introduced regulatory changes that allow on-farm processing operations to better manage wastewater on their smaller scale. The changes, which took effect May 11, come at the request of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) — which has said that owners of small farm-level processing facilities shouldn’t be treated the same as […] Read more
Smart LED grow-lights system supports year-round pepper production
Expanding production would boost competitiveness of the Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector
Innovative lighting technology could allow Ontario vegetable greenhouses to grow peppers all year long. That’s the result of a project funded through the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative (GCII), which also found that the smart LED grow lights system results in higher yields, better quality and more uniform crops. Why it matters: Year-round production of […] Read more
In one giant leap for Earth plants, seeds are grown in moon soil
Washington | Reuters — Scientists for the first time have grown seeds in soil from the moon — samples retrieved during NASA missions in 1969 and 1972 — in an achievement that heralds the promise of using earthly plants to support human outposts on other worlds. Researchers said on Thursday they planted seeds of a […] Read more
Farm & Food Care Ontario celebrates 10 years with new funding agreement
OMAFRA will contribute up to $547,200 to outreach initiatives over three years
A new funding agreement that will contribute up to $547,200 to Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) outreach activities over the next three years was announced by Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Lisa Thompson at FFCO’s annual meeting on April 13 in Elora. “Ensuring Ontarians have the facts on where their […] Read more
Italian court upholds veto against Syngenta purchase of seed producer
Rome | Reuters — An Italian administrative court ruled that a government veto of the purchase of seed producer Verisem by Chinese-owned Syngenta was valid, the agrochemicals giant said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mario Draghi blocked the proposed takeover in October, the second time he used the special “golden power” rules to ward off an […] Read more
Avian flu hits more Alberta, Ontario poultry flocks
Alberta cases spread north, east
Three additional poultry flocks in central Alberta and one in eastern Ontario were confirmed over the weekend to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Monday it had confirmed high-path H5N1 avian flu on Friday in a commercial poultry flock in Kneehill County, between Calgary and Red Deer, and […] Read more
Changes to TFW program to expand worker availability
Workplace LMIAs now valid for 18 months
The federal government is boosting the availability of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to ag and other understaffed sectors under a list of policy changes announced Monday. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough announced what’s called the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map, which the government said “marks the next step in […] Read more
Drought severity easing across much of Prairies, AAFC reports
MarketsFarm — Drought conditions persisted across much of the Prairies during the month of March, although the extent and severity of the dryness was reduced in many areas, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “While there have been substantial improvements to drought conditions across Western Canada since last […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
