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As harvest progresses, the visual evidence of this summer’s drought throughout eastern Canada will soon be left only to memory.
However, the effects of 2012’s hot, dry weather will likely be felt for a few years and by more than those who witnessed the withering plants first-hand.
Like those of you in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, I spent most of the summer praying for rain. I had watched as one shower that occurred shortly after planting made my soybeans sprout out of the ground, only to then see them sit there almost stagnant for weeks on end as the sun rose and set with not a rain cloud in sight.
It is true that persistently dry conditions in North America are taking their toll on the agriculture industry. Many climatologists agree that we are experiencing the worst drought in more than 50 years.
As a result, forecasted yields for corn, wheat and soybeans have been revised down significantly. And that is pushing commodity prices up.
Mother Nature has given us an interesting growing season to say the least here in Canada. Some areas experienced a fantastic summer with timely rains and warm temperatures leading to what looks to be record yield potential and an early harvest.
Three times in the last five years, soaring grain prices have forced dairy producers to scrutinize on-farm practices and crack down on inefficiencies, striving to recuperate profitability.
Over time the knowledge and ability necessary to get cows bred have taken tremendous strides forward, bringing with them greater on-farm success.
Reproductive success takes effort from every angle of the dairy and starts with an understanding of pregnancy rate and the factors which impact it most.
The first Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium, hosted by the University of Guelph and its Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, is an international three-day symposium dedicated to the welfare of dairy cattle.
Coming this February to Stratford, Ontario, is the Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX), a dairy event exclusively for progressive dairy operators and their families.
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