Alberta Gives Funding to Support Ag Worker Recruitment

Nov 25, 2022

Alberta and the federal government are giving $2.5 million to Ag for Life to help companies recruit, hire and retain workers in the province’s agriculture and agri-food industry, a Nov. 25 news release said.

“Alberta’s agriculture sector continues to grow and set new investment and export records despite facing numerous challenges. This funding will help producers and processors with their labour needs so they can remain competitive, grow their businesses, and respond to an international food shortage,” Nate Horner, Alberta minister of agriculture and irrigation, said in the release.

The release noted that since 2011, Ag for Life has delivered agriculture education to over half a million Albertans across the province. The charitable organization works with producers to develop high-quality programming to inspire a better understanding of the integral role agriculture plays in our economy.

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Video: Not only is corn getting sweatier, it's getting smarter

Over the past several weeks, much of the U.S. Midwest has experienced prolonged episodes of extreme heat, a trend also observed in other major corn-producing regions of North America such as eastern South Dakota, southern Ontario, and parts of Kansas and Missouri. These high-temperature events can place significant physiological stress on maize (Zea mays L.), which is cultivated on approximately 90 million acres across the United States, with leading production in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Like all maize, Bayer’s PRECEON™ Smart Corn System is subject to transpiration-driven water loss under high heat. However, this system incorporates agronomic traits designed to improve standability through enhanced stalk strength, thereby reducing lodging risk during stress conditions. Furthermore, the system supports precision agriculture practices by enabling more targeted fertilizer and crop protection applications. This approach not only helps to optimize input efficiency but also contributes to maintaining or increasing yield potential under variable environmental stresses such as heat waves, which are becoming more frequent in corn belt and fringe production regions.