Hursh Comment

There have been severe flooding problems in many parts of Saskatchewan and the worst may be yet to come. However, we’ve actually been lucky with the weather over the past couple months. Temperatures throughout March were much colder than normal, slowing the snow melt. That has continued into April with most days cooler than average …

At the recent SARM convention, the provincial government announced $500,000 for a Beaver Control Program. It’s a one-year pilot program. SARM has now announced the program guidelines. The program will pay $15 for the removal of each adult beaver in participating RMs with the RM responsible to at least match the $15. So a minimum …

According to the pollsters, nearly a million Canadians support the Green Party. That’s scary when you read their agriculture platform. According to the Greens, we should all be small, organic peasants selling our produce into local markets. Organic agriculture, they say, will help reverse climate change, provide food security, restore soil health and improve human …

It seems like cellulosic ethanol has been five years away for the last 15 years. Now, we’re starting to see the establishment of more facilities that will produce ethanol from wheat straw, corn stalks, and other sources of biomass. Novozymes in partnership with Mossi and Ghisolfi Group is building the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant …

There are some very positive aspects to the beef industry these days, but there are negatives as well. The good news is profitable prices. Feed grain prices in Western Canada are low as compared to American corn and that has helped feeder cattle values on this side of the border. However, the high value of …

A big trade issue has surfaced involving the European Union, lentils and glyphosate residue. A shipment of organic lentils from Turkey has exceeded the EU’s tolerance for glyphosate residue. This issue is now limiting lentil trade between North American and Europe. Glyphosate is registered for pre-harvest use on lentils, but Europe has the ridiculously low …

There’s a major agricultural election issue in Ontario that Prairie farmers don’t fully appreciate. The province of Ontario has developed a Risk Management Program for all its non-supply managed agriculture sectors. The program provides revenue insurance based on prices that are related to cost of production. On March 29, Ontario announced a budget of $150 …

You sometimes forget how lucky we are to farm in a province where agriculture is taken seriously at the political level. You just have to look at British Columbia to see a province where agriculture is treated like a political afterthought.  Christy Clark, the new B.C. Premier named her first cabinet on March 14 and …

A media story has been circulating that the National Research Council’s Plant Biotechnology Institute in Saskatoon plans to develop genetically modified wheat. The story is making the rounds and drawing fire from those opposed to genetic modification, but according to the top people at the National Research Council, the story is just plain wrong. They …

With radiation leaking from the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan, we have another reason not to believe scientists when they declare that something is safe. A good scientist will never say there is zero risk, only that risk is minimal or negligible. Unfortunately, that isn’t good enough for many consumers when it comes to the …

The Liberals have some interesting proposals for rural Canada in their election platform that was announced yesterday. Presumably farmers would benefit from their promise to quadruple renewable energy production. Regarding health care, the Liberals say they would forgive the federal portion of student loans up to $5,000 per year to a maximum of $20,000 for …

Mary Buhr has been the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan for two years now. Every time I hear her speak, I’m more impressed. Mary Buhr came to Saskatchewan from the University of Guelph because of the enormous opportunity she sees in this province’s agriculture sector. Understandably, it’s …