Saskatchewan—The Do More Agriculture Foundation, a not-for-profit championing mental health in agriculture, launched its first awareness campaign called “It Starts with Me.” The campaign highlights that changing the narrative around mental health starts with each of us personally. The campaign aims to: reduce stigmas, understand that each of us plays a role, and inspire those in agriculture to take care of their mental well-being. “We each can promote change by making small…
It’s been an incredibly challenging harvest season, and we’re hoping for much better weather to allow you to get the rest of the crop under cover. We’ve received some suggestions and had some thoughts as well in reflection of the conditions this fall, so we’d like to share them with you. Disposal of Tare soil at storages There’s a lot of soil getting to the warehouse yards due to the wet conditions….
November 02, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada The Government of Canada recognizes that Canadian innovation has helped make our country a leader in producing safe, high quality products and we are committed to fostering innovation in the agricultural sector – here in Canada and beyond. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, is pleased that Canada has joined Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras,…
CLERMONT, Fla. – October 31, 2018 – Senninger Irrigation is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Skolnik as vice-president of global sales. Skolnik rejoins the Senninger team, as we deepen our commitment to increase our market presence and expand our resources to the agricultural irrigation markets we serve. Skolnik is a former president of the Irrigation Association and brings more than 40 years of irrigation experience to the Senninger/Hunter Industries family…
The P.E.I. legislation banning plastic checkout bags coming into effect in 2019 is inspiring a couple of industries to look back to the past for more environmentally-friendly packaging. The P.E.I. Bag Company in Bedeque, P.E.I., is tapping into its roots with a new line of reusable shopping bags. “It has been a bit of an opportunity for P.E.I. Bag Company,” said general manager Thane Smallwood. “We decided to get into selling some of the jute-…
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The president of Cavendish Farms is warning that the future of potato farming could be at risk due to provincial restrictions on land ownership. During a meeting of the province’s standing committee on communities, land and environment, Robert Irving brought attention to the declining numbers of potato farms on P.E.I. Since 1997, the number of potato farms on the Island has declined from 460 to 186. Irving said the…
Cavendish Farms, one of the largest processors of frozen potato products in North America, is equipping its new, state-of-the-art production facility in Lethbridge, Alta., with TOMRA’s Eco steam peelers. Cavendish Farms is committed to sustaining the environment and operates at the highest standards to protect the environment. “We are continuously looking for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and increase our processing efficiency. To equip our new, state-of-the-art production facility in…
An improved technique for capturing DNA in crops may give plant breeders huge advantages when it comes to developing varieties that are more resilient to pests and diseases. The technique, known as diagnostic resistance gene enrichment sequencing (dRenSeq), enables the high-confidence identification and complete sequence validation of functional resistance genes. More robust and cost-effective than whole-genome sequencing in potato cultivars, dRenSeq is the product of an international collaboration between the James Hutton Institute, Wageningen University (Netherlands), the…
CAIRO—Egypt’s police are stepping in to fight a potato shortage that has caused prices for the staple to soar beyond the reach of many at a time when Egyptians are struggling with steadily rising food costs. Pro-government newspapers and TV stations have been publicizing raids on warehouses where authorities say businessmen are hoarding potatoes to try to drive up prices. The raids have showcased the lengths to which authorities are willing to…
MANITOBA Dan Sawatzky, General Manager, Keystone Potato Producers Association Heat and lack of rainfall highlight the growing conditions for Manitoba this season. Above 30 C days were double the normal, which will have some effect on yield and quality. 2011 was the most recent year where we experienced similar heat, which resulted in significant yield losses. Dry conditions were carried over from last fall and winter, where little precipitation fell. This summer’s…