(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC revises crop estimates

Export, new-crop production outlooks revised lower for flax

MarketsFarm — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on Friday released its February supply and demand estimates with numerous small changes. AAFC held its projections for 2022-23 grains and oilseeds production at 89.489 million tonnes. As for exports, the department reduced them from 45.715 million tonnes last month to now 45.49 million. Furthermore, domestic usage was […] Read more

Stefanie Beck (DND photo) and Dr. Harpreet Kochhar (Uoguelph.ca).

Feds appoint new deputy ag minister, CFIA chief

Eleven senior civil servants shuffled

Canada’s government has lined up a new federal deputy minister for agriculture and a new president for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, both to take office later this month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a shuffle in the top ranks of the public service involving 11 senior managers following four recent retirements. Associate […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC issues first look at 2023-24

Oats production expected down significantly on year; wheat, canola up

MarketsFarm — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has released its first crop projections for 2023-24, forecasting a very notable drop in oats. In AAFC’s January supply and demand estimates, released Friday, it cut oat production to 3.611 million tonnes, down almost 31 per cent compared to 2022-23. The department chopped the carryout for oats by […] Read more

Dr. Jason Lanoue, Post-Doctoral Researcher at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, stands in one of the greenhouses used for production and physiology research at the Harrow Research and Development Centre.

Harrow research team finds key to continuous greenhouse lighting

Unlocking the potential of photosynthesis and growth

Growing greenhouse crops under continuous lighting has been a dream since the 1930s and moved closer to reality with the advent of LED lighting.  Now, a team of researchers at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre aims to make continuous lighting an actuality.  Continuous lighting effectively spreads a plant’s total lighting needs […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC raises canola stocks projection, despite smaller crop

Department also trims wheat ending stocks

MarketsFarm — Canadian canola ending stocks for 2022-23 were revised higher by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in its latest supply/demand estimates, released Friday. The larger carryout projection came despite a downward revision to production, as both exports and domestic usage were also down from the November report. The government agency now sees canola carryout of […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC report sees another series of tweaks

MarketsFarm — As expected, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) avoided making any major revisions to its November supply and demand estimates, waiting until Statistics Canada issues its next production report on Dec. 2. AAFC released its latest monthly report late Friday afternoon. While AAFC tweaked its November supply and demand estimates from October, most of […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Green peas regain premium over yellows

MarketsFarm – Solid demand and tighter supplies have seen green pea bids regain a premium over yellow peas in Western Canada, although the market for both varieties remains solid overall. Green peas historically trade at premium to yellow peas due to higher quality specs and concerns over bleaching, but increased domestic demand for yellow peas […] Read more

AAFC made some small tweaks in its estimates for the 2022/23 wheat crop.  Photo: Greg Berg

AAFC tweaks some numbers as canola, pulses remain unchanged

MarketsFarm – While Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada made some changes in its October supply and demand estimates from September, the department didn’t make any alterations to its data for canola, pulses and special crops. The department released its report during the late afternoon of Oct. 21. Of the grains and oilseeds, AAFC’s most notable revisions […] Read more


(Alfio Manciagli/iStock/Getty Images)

Canadian wheat, canola stocks projections revised higher

MarketsFarm — Canadian wheat and canola ending stocks for the 2022-23 crop year are forecast to end up above earlier projections, according to updated supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, released late Friday. The updated estimates account for recent production and old-crop carryout numbers from Statistics Canada. Total wheat ending stocks for 2022-23 are […] Read more

Using a hand-held sandblaster with projectiles to combat weeds in potatoes.

Research team looks at sandblasting-style weed control

Projectile method needs work to tackle between-row growth

A plot of white beans at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Harrow research farm is part of a new four-site study taking a sandblasting-style approach to weed control in Canadian crops.  “No, it’s not a joke,” begins a news release from the federal agriculture ministry about the research into what’s being called “abrasive or projectile […] Read more