Beef leaders not consulted on Lacombe closure

The Beef Cattle Research Council was not consulted before the federal agriculture department announced it will close the research station at Lacombe, Alta.

It did research on cattle and pastures and on hog genetics, rations and management.

Dr. Howard Fredeen, who developed the Lacombe hog breed, was among high-profile researchers who worked there.

Reynold Bergen, science director with the Beef Cattle Research Council, said “we weren’t consulted, but we were kind of expecting that the votes of confidence we have put in in the past based on past funding decisions or funding investments in these programs would indicate where our priorities are and those priorities don’t line up with the decisions that have been made here.

Bergen said the news has caused uncertainty because they don’t know which researchers will be retained and where they will be moved.

Nitrogen leaf spray unveiled

 

Tidal Grow AgriScience has announced a nitrogen product that can be sprayed on leaves to boost yields of canola, corn and wheat.

The company said the technology results in maximum crop uptake of 18-0-0 fertiluizer.

“Canadian growers now have a new way to protect their precious fertilizer investments,” said Norm Davy, president and chief commercial officer for Tidal Grow AgriScience.

The company said trials it conducted indicate wheat yields can be increased by 22 per cent and canola by 10 per cent and improve net returns by $15 to $35 per acre.

                  

AGCO sales, profits slump

 

AGCO reported a 10 per cent decline in tractor sales and 27 per cent decline for combines in North America last year.

In dollars, sales in North America were down by 7.8 per cent,

But Eric Hansolia put a brave face in the financial report, saying “AGCO delivered strong fourth quarter results . . .”, reduced dealer inventories and gained market share.

Sales were also down in its divisions for Brazil and Western Europe.

The outlook for this year is for production and sales to hold steady.

Strychnine denied registration

 Grain Growers of Canada is disappointed that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency has denied emergency use registration for two per cent liquid strychnine to Alberta and Saskatchewan and is seeking a reconsideration.

Grain growers in Alberta and Saskatchewan wanted to use it to rid fields of gophers that are destroying crops.

Grain Growers of Canada said it recognizes the importance of strong environmental and health protections, but said the Pest Management Regulatory Agency should also ground its decisions in sound science and reflect on-farm realities.

“Farmers are responsible stewards of the land and depend on practical, effective pest-management tools to maintain sustainable production and protect Canada’s food supply.” Grain Growers of Canada said.

It said the application included enhanced stewardship measures, targeted application windows, and additional safeguards to mitigate risks to non-target species. 

It said that by rejecting this request, the current regulatory approach disregards both on-farm realities and the need to maintain agricultural competitiveness and food system resilience.

In its request for reconsideration, it noted that there is a Prime Minister’s initiative to make regulations more sensitive to the needs of the economy.

 

                         

 

Land market cooled

The red-hot market for farm land cooled off last year, according to the annual report from Valco Consultants.

Ryan Parker, who wrote the report, said some farms listed for sale did not find a buyer, particularly south-west of London and along the shore of Lake Erie.

He said some of that is sellers asking for prices that were too high and another part was lower profits from crops.

Prices remain highly variable by location.

His report said:

• $27, 258 – average per acre value across all 11 counties in 2025 compared with $6,000 in 2010.
• $38,000 – average per acre value in Perth and Oxford.
• $20,000 – average per acre value in Essex County.
• 10.7 per cent – average annual value change from 2010 to 2025.
• 2.7 per cent – overall value increase from 2024 to 2025.

Kimberly Earls heads Rural Ontario Institute

 

Kimberly Earls heads Rural Ontario Institute

 

Kimberly Earls has been chosen executive director of the Rural Ontario Institute.

She has worked in the business community in Norfolk County and served on a number of provincial and federal advisory boards.

She has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Western Ontario and teaches at Fanshawe College.

She takes over from Gabe Ferguson who has been acting executive director.

Farmers’ confidence shaken

 

Farmers’ confidence is being shaken by lower profits, according to the monthly survey conducted by Purdue to calculate its Ag Economy Barometer.

Farm sentiment dropped sharply in January – by 23 points to 113.

Half of the farmers said their financial conditions have worsened from a year ago and 30 per cent believe things will worsen this year.

Producers reported worsening financial conditions compared to a year ago, with half indicating operations were worse off. Thirty percent expect Operating loans are rising, often due to carryover debt from prior years, signaling increasing financial pressure, the report said.

Concerns about U.S. agricultural exports also grew, particularly for soybeans, with competition from Brazil weighing heavily on producers.