The Canadian Crop Hail Association reports relatively small increases in hail insurance claims in Alberta and Manitoba over the last couple of weeks and only a modest increase in Saskatchewan.

The association states that while claims to date are not as high as some years, damage has occurred in many geographic regions and adjusters are working their way through site visits. If producers need to harvest before an adjuster visits, the association says producers should contact their insurance company for instructions on leaving check strips for adjusters.

In Alberta, hail claim totals have reached nearly 2,600 -- up from about 1,900 two weeks ago. This does not include claims filed as part of crop insurance endorsements.

Claims over the past two weeks have been spread across the province. An Aug. 11 storm with pea-sized hail caused damage in the Okotoks, Empress, Claresholm, Stavely and Nanton areas.

Aug. 12 saw hail in the Del Bonita, Starland County, Leduc, Barrhead and Westlock regions. On Aug. 16, claims were called in from many areas. A significant number of claims, many of them severe, are still coming in from an Aug. 22 storm that hit Olds, Three Hills, Airdrie, Strathmore, Drumheller, Hanna and Okotoks.

In Saskatchewan, claims now exceed 10,000, up by about 2,000 from the last report two weeks ago. Most of the new claims are from storms on Aug. 11 and 12.

While many areas of the province were hit, a large number of claims have come from the southeast including communities such as Beaubier, Oungre, Torquay, Weyburn, Alameda, Frobisher, Redvers and Moosomin. A couple of townships in the Alameda-Estevan area have had as many as five different storms this year. Multiple storms on the same land complicate the adjusting process, the association states.

In Manitoba, hail claims have increased to over 2,400, an increase of nearly 600 over two weeks. Although hail activity has been relatively light, there were many storms that affected portions of the province, particularly on Aug. 12 when temperature and humidity were both very high.

Areas affected include Roblin, Swan River, Birtle, Benito, Austin, Westbourne, Portage la Prairie, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Lowe Farm and Sperling.

Manitoba has introduced a new farm building code aimed at making buildings safer and offering increased fire protection to livestock and property.

Jennifer Howard, the province's minister of labour and immigration, says the provincial government wants to ensure safety.

"We want to be sure that all reasonable efforts are made to protect lives, whether they are those of livestock, producers or the firefighters called out to fight a fire," Howard says.

The changes will only affect new construction or buildings undergoing extensive renovation -- dwellings are not included -- and must meet the following requirements:

- Attic spaces must have fire stops every 300 square metres and fire alarm systems are to be installed in all farm buildings covered under the code.

- Travel distance to an exit must be less than 30 metres in all buildings.

- All new buildings and major renovations must be certified by a structural engineer.

Provincial officials state there will be some flexibility within the regulations to allow for the construction to meet the goal of fire safety. Because of the variety of building designs, the codes will allow for equivalencies that will be reviewed by the Manitoba Farm Building Code Committee under the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

Having codes in place will also set a standard, which will make it easier for producers to get insurance, the minister adds. 

The changes come after consultation with the provincial fire commissioner's office, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, producers and interested groups including the Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, Manitoba Pork Council, the insurance industry, animal welfare groups and Keystone Agricultural Producers, says the minister.

Ian Wishart, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, says producers want to take all precautions to prevent fires and the organization is pleased with the constructive consultation process.

"We believe these new standards are a practical, common-sense approach to fire safety," he says. 

Before these changes, the Buildings and Mobile Homes Act excluded all farm buildings except dwellings from the requirements of the Manitoba Building Code. The changes mean all farm buildings measuring more than 600 square metres, built after the legislation takes effect Nov. 1, must comply with the farm building code.

More information is available from the Office of the Fire Commissioner at 204-945-3322 or toll-free at 1-800-282-8069.

Calls from Ontario farmers are increasing to crop pest and pathology experts about sudden death syndrome in soybeans.

Albert Tenuta, field crop plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Ridgetown, says over the past two weeks concerns from farmers have intensified.

"Field symptoms are even more pronounced now," he says, noting dry conditions have made affected headlands and knolls stand out.

SDS occurs when the fungus Fusarium virguliforme infects the soybean plant root. This causes the sudden appearance of yellow and brown spots, followed by root rot and defoliation.

Some areas of the United States under high disease pressure have had 100 per cent yield loss.

Tenuta says soybean cyst nematodes are one of the most important contributors to SDS. As well, soil compaction and poor drainage set up conditions that support the SDS fungus.

Some experts call SDS one of the hardest soybean diseases to manage. A good defence against it is to plant hardy high-yielding varieties that have shown tolerance to the disease. Additional strategies include managing soybean cyst nematodes, improving drainage and planting slightly later in the season if cool, wet soil conditions prevail in the spring.

"This disease is on the rise in Ontario," Tenuta says, "and (producers) need to consider it in their future plans."

$6.5 million is going towards Canada's organic industry and will bring scientific expertise from academia, industry and government to develop more efficient and profitable processes for organic farmers.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the combination of cutting edge research will increase market opportunities for the organic industry.

"By creating this all-star team, we can maximize the investment and focus Canada's organic expertise on the research that shows the most promise in delivering a profitable, competitive edge to farmers," he says in a news release.

The Organic Federation of Canada will manage this investment to address the priorities of organic producers. Research will focus on soil fertility, grain cropping, greenhouse production and food processing. This cluster will also help develop a recognizable, high-quality brand to help establish Canada as a leader in organic production and help farmers expand their businesses.

Ted Zettel, president of the Organic Federation of Canada says the project is a major event "in the development of this relatively new but rapidly growing segment of Canadian agriculture, organic food." 

In partnership with the OFC, the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada was instrumental in raising an industry contribution of $2.2 million for this project.

The federal government notes that the Canadian organic sector has grown considerably in the last 10-15 years. Retail sales of organic food products in Canada were valued at over $2 billion in 2008.

Ontario farmers are applauding the switch to biomass from coal at the Atikokan Generating Station as a signal that biomass energy is continuing to win friends at the provincial legislature.

The province says the three-year conversion of the Atikokan plant, located about 200 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, will create up to 200 construction jobs and another 20 or so related to wood pellet production to feed this plant. It will provide enough energy for 15,000 homes.

The conversion takes Ontario "another step closer to eliminating all coal-fired generation by the end of 2014," says the province. It's determined to phase-out coal and notes that in 2009, generation by Ontario's coal plants was at its lowest level in 45 years -- down more than 70 per cent from 2003.

Many, including Ontario's provincial government and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, see biomass an alternative energy source to coal-generation. In fact, the federation is helping chart a course for large-scale agricultural biomass production to feed biomass plants, including the Lambton generating station in crop-rich, biomass-rich southwestern Ontario.

The federation has launched a three year research plan to develop purpose-grown crops for biomass fuel, including switch grass and miscanthus. Federation officials say the plan will help farmers test various agronomic practices and plants for agricultural biomass in generating electricity. 

"With biomass generation, the Ontario agriculture sector can actively take part in meeting Ontario's need for clean air, clean water, food on the table and green energy," says Don McCabe, vice-president of the federation."(Our) work will assist Ontario farmers in establishing the supply needed to end coal-fired generation by 2014."

Research efforts sponsored by the province are also underway at the University of Guelph to determine how much biomass can be safely removed from fields without undermining soil structure and productivity.

It's envisioned that while some of the biomass supply will be purpose-grown crops such as those being reviewed by the federation, another source will be biomass that would normally be returned to the field to help maintain and build organic matter.

Options being examined to help keep the soil sound include the regular use of cover crops, reduced residue removal (every two to three years perhaps, instead of every year) and complex crop rotations, such as corn-soybean-wheat-red clover.

For apple growers in the Maritimes, a warm spring and continued great weather have meant the earliest start to the harvest in decades.

"At one point in the season, apple growers were three weeks ahead of normal," says Dela Erith, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association. "In later spring, things slowed down -- but they are still seven to 10 days ahead of schedule. I heard one grower say the harvest hasn't started this early since 1946. Now that's hearsay, but it clearly indicates you've got to go a long way back to find this early a start."

Michael Van Meekeren, who helps run his family's apple growing and packing business in Lakeville, N.S., says that by the last week of August, the Jersey Mac variety had been completely harvested, with the Paula Red and Ginger Gold harvests in full swing.

Van Meekeren says the start of the harvest typically fluctuates by a few days, but this year is exceptional. Since apples are not a particularly fragile crop and store well over winter, the early harvest is not critical to success -- but it does lessen the chances of damage from frost later in the year. And for wholesalers like Van Meekeren (whose fruit is marketed under the Wink name), the warm weather can provide a market advantage.

"Apples from Ontario traditionally start two weeks earlier than Nova Scotia. There's usually a window in which they can sell their fruit here, before we can. The early harvest does provide a benefit -- we can get on the shelves sooner and capture that market."

Erith agrees.

"The fact that they're going to get their crop into the retail stores seven to 10 days earlier means the consumer has the advantage of enjoying this year's crop of apples earlier," she says. "It means Nova Scotia apples are in the domestic and international marketplace earlier than those from other areas."

Farmers in New Brunswick and P.E.I. (which has a very small apple production base) are also benefiting from the continued warm weather.

Erith estimates the overall apple harvest this year to end up at approximately 2.2 million bushels, down about six per cent from last year. She says the decline is a result of an ongoing orchard renewal process, with new trees not yet at full production.

The only cloud on the horizon for the apple harvest at this point seems to be the potential for damage from hurricane season. As this story was being written, Hurricane Earl was racing up the East Coast of the United States, possibly on track to affect Nova Scotia.

But Van Meekeren says even that is not a major concern.

"We've found that apples and apple trees are pretty resilient to wind," he says. "They seem to hang in there. I don't think it's going to be a big problem."

Funding of $2.1 million will help British Columbia's grape producers fight disease and pests.

Researchers will focus on enhancing the sensory and aroma qualities of grapes and identifying new methods for the control of the two most prevalent grape pests, as well as disease management and water conservation techniques.

Hans Buchler, chair of the B.C. Wine Grape Council says the federal funding is important to the industry and will help enhance sustainable practices and grape and wine quality.

"This funding... will help us to continue to adapt to a changing climate and changing pest and disease complexes, as well as responding to changing demands by the consuming public," he says.

British Columbia's grape and wine sector has grown tremendously in the last 20 years. In 2009, grape acreage measured close to 10,000 acres, with approximately 160 wineries in operation. In order to remain competitive, producers are focusing on high quality products with low environmental impact.

This project is being funded under the Developing Innovative Agri-Products initiative, which supports industry-led science and technology projects.

The newly launched Western Canadian Feeds Innovation Network will bring local feed research to producers from the four western provinces, says executive director Colleen Christensen.

In its first year, WCFIN will concentrate on building an inventory of research expertise and capacity infrastructure in the west for feeds research -- the ultimate goal is providing a searchable database.

According to Christensen, this will include everything from animal nutrition and plant genetics to engineering and processing.

"We want to find out who is who and what they do here for research," she says.

Christensen notes that feed costs represent a huge part of the cost of production, usually around 65 per cent for all types of livestock.

"We want to be able to increase the efficiency on the animal side, whether it is decreasing the costs or finding some ingredient to produce animals for a niche market," she says.

She believes one of the large issues facing the industry in the next five years will be the declining use of antimicrobials and the need to find feed ingredients that promote the health and safety of the animals.

The network will act as a facilitator to connect people, bringing together science and business stakeholders using a common language, says Christensen. The focus will be on innovative western Canadian feed resources including producers, feed manufacturers, industry associations and consumers.

Future initiatives will include educational seminars and the identification of other opportunities to promote feed sciences in the West.

Christensen hopes WCFIN will help "make more connections, where people incorporate more science into growing animals and are more successful in livestock practices. We hope to see more families involved and more rural activity where everyone is more sustainable."

For information on WCFIN check the website at www.wcfin.ca.

Prince Edward Island sheep producers will be able to construct or upgrade fencing systems to protect sheep from potential diseases carried by predatory and non-predatory animals.

A new program, administered by the P.E.I. Sheep Breeders Association, is being funded through the federal-provincial Growing Forward Program. It provides partial funding for the construction or upgrade of a five-strand, high-tensile electric fence.

The fencing will help protect sheep from coming into contact with disease-carrying animals. Dogs or coyotes that may carry a parasite are one of the more common threats to the health of sheep. Rabies is another disease of concern.

To apply for funding, producers must be members of the Sheep Breeders Association, have a minimum of 15 breeding animals and attend one of two biosecurity sessions. The next session will be held Sept. 14 at the Atlantic Veterinary College from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The session will include a lecture by Dr. Jeff Wichtel and a field tour with a fencing representative.

Membership in the association can be obtained at the sessions.

Those interested in attending are asked to call the Department of Agriculture at 368-4145 or toll-free at 1-866-734-3276.

After peaking out so far during the beginning of August, Winnipeg canola futures have see-sawed within a fairly wide trading range over the past month.

Recent weakness in Chicago soybean and soy oil values has exerted some downward price pressure, as have declines in Malaysian palm oil and European rapeseed values. A drop-off in demand from the export sector also helped to spark some downward price action, with chart based speculative liquidation orders a negative for the market.

But more recently, Prairie weather worries have provided underlying support.

At the bottom end of the new trading range, November canola futures have found technical support in the $430-$440 a tonne area. Topside resistance remains entrenched near $470 a tonne.

Harvest conditions here on the Prairies have garnered increased market attention, especially with reports of cool and wet conditions hampering field progress of an already late developing crop.

Much of the support in canola came from concerns about the delays in harvesting the crop in parts of Western Canada and the increased threat of unharvested canola being vulnerable to frost damage. We are getting reports of frost hitting for the second time in low-lying areas of Alberta's Red Deer region. Further to the northeast of Alberta, strong storms with hail are reportedly decimating some stretches of crops. And of course, the eastern Prairie region has been putting up with rains the past few days. Hardly ideal harvest conditions.

A slowdown in farmer deliveries has helped to generate some strength in canola, as has steady buying interest from domestic crushers.

Outside market influences -- notably the broader equity and energy markets -- continue to exert some authority as they reflect current collective investor tolerance to assume risk.

While looking a little more optimistic so far this week (Sept. 1), stock markets and energies are feeling increased pressures. Seasonally, I always get a little nervous in September and October -- typically one of the weakest stock market periods of the year. And if traders globally start to question the breadth of economic recovery, which is common these days it seems, and traders start becoming more risk adverse, all commodity markets will feel the pressure.

But our canola market continues to hold rather well at this time. Still, PFCanada still believes some pricing needs to be done in this area to lock up $10.20-$10.50 per cash bids as part of a scale-up selling program.

Looking much further afield to next year’s crop -- pricing opportunities for fall delivery 2011 -- there's not a lot to choose from. But there are spotty reports of bids near the $9.50 a bushel mark for November 2011 delivery.

I expect a big push higher in Canadian canola acres in 2011 -- and South American farmers are expected to seed for another prospective record large soybean crop this fall for next year. A price near that level for fall 2011 delivery might be worthy of consideration, though admittedly opportunities that far out are limited.

Mike Jubinville of Pro Farmer Canada offers information on commodity markets and marketing strategies. Call 204-654-4290 or visit www.pfcanada.com to find out more about his services.