(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Monday August 19, 2019

Aug 19, 2019 | 10:11 AM

Livestock producers in some of the drier areas of province should be checking the quality of their water supplies.

Test results are showing higher than recommended sulfate levels.

The rain in June and early July helped to stabilize sulfates, PH and nitrate levels, but evaporation has caused those numbers to rise again.

The Ministry of Agriculture is offering free water testing through their regional offices.

Provincial specialist Leah Clark said Moose Jaw had 450 requests, followed by Swift Current, Outlook and Kindersley.

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Clark says one litre of dugout or well water is needed for proper analysis.

Back in 2017, 200 cattle died from consuming water with high sulfate levels in southwest Saskatchewan.

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Farmers need to challenge federal election candidates and their parties to outline their plan to protect agriculture.

That comes from Cereals Canada President Cam Dahl.

He said political parties need to present a comprehensive approach to protecting the country’s trading interests.

He added if Canada doesn’t refocus its trade policy, thousands of jobs will continue to be at risk because of agricultural trade disputes.

Dahl said there are three questions that every candidate should answer in the upcoming election.

He said candidates should be able to discuss their party’s comprehensive plan to deal with non-tariff trade barriers facing agriculture and explain if a candidate’s party will use Canada’s existing trade agreement to systematically challenge non-tariff trade barriers.

Dahl said candidates should be challenged to commit the money and people to ensure Canada’s trade is protected.

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Deere & Co. cut its profit expectations for the year as beleaguered farmers and an escalating U.S. trade war with China cut into sales.

Flooding meant that in the 18 U.S. states that grow most of the nation’s corn, only 58 per cent of the crop was planted by the last week of May, far from the 90 per cent in a typical year.

Sales of agricultural and turf equipment, Deere’s biggest operation, slid six per cent in the third quarter, and profits fell 24 per cent. That was partially offset by strong activity in the construction industry.

Deere still foresees a full-year revenue increase of about five per cent.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: AliceMcF