THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015
VOL. 93 | NO. 30 | $4.25
ORGANIC TALK FOR GROWERS | P16
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
|
WWW.PRODUCER.COM
THESE ARE THE HAY DAYS
TRADE TALKS
TPP trade deal could be signed soon Western Producer reporter Karen Briere attended the provincial agriculture ministers meeting in Charlottetown and filed these reports CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Officials from the 12 countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership meet in Maui July 24 to hammer out a trade deal some say could be signed next week when trade ministers also meet there. They do so with the blessing of Canada’s agriculture ministers, but only if the country’s supply management system remains in some form. At their annual meeting in Charlottetown last week, the ministers agreed to support new market development, including the TPP, “while continuing to preserve the integrity of the supply management system.”
WEATHER
Canola, pulses boosted by rain Cereal crops not so lucky — show signs of stunted growth despite the added moisture BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
The old adage that rain makes grain needs to be amended to include the word “sometimes.” July rain has been beneficial to some canola and pulse crops but may be too late to help cereal crops, say experts.
Most fields in the drought-stricken region of western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta received 15 to 40 millimetres of rain July 6-19, according to Agriculture Canada. “It has certainly been welcome in those areas because they have been the driest,” said Clint Jurke, agronomy director with the Canola Council
of Canada. It means more seeds and pods for late-seeded canola crops that were in the pre-flowering or early-flowering stage of development. “If we keep getting a few more showers, then those crops are certainly going to be in pretty good shape by the end of the season,” he said.
Late-seeded crops and those that had patchy germination because of extreme drought or frost were likely too far gone to be rescued. “But for the great majority of canola within that region, (the rain) did come in time,” said Jurke. SEE RAIN, PAGE 4
»
Don’t miss the straight cutting event of the year on July 28th. Register today at agsolutions.ca/webinar2015. Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; HEAT, and KIXOR are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2015 BASF Canada Inc.
SEE TPP DEAL, PAGE 5
»
u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv.:! JULY 23, 2015 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
Cam Ostercamp cuts his hay crop in a field east of Blackie, Alta., July 18. Much of the southern Prairie crop received needed rain last week. | MIKE STURK PHOTO