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Barlow Says Farmers Paying The Price For Liberal Mistakes

Heightened trade tensions between China and Canada has farmers worried in the Foothills.

China has stopped canola shipments coming from Canadian agribusiness, Richardson International, which exports 30 per cent of Alberta canola.

Foothills Member of Parliament, John Barlow, met with farmers in Blackie on Tuesday, March 6, and says it's farmers paying the price of the Liberal Government's foreign affairs failures.

"The resounding response from producers in my riding today is this is going to hurt. They've already seen precipitous drops in the price of canola."

As spring seeding is quickly approaching, Barlow says most of the farmers expressed they will be sticking with their planting decisions, as it take months of preparation.

Barlow says this is an issue which needs to be resolved quickly, but they've yet to hear anything from the Liberal Government.

He adds, this ban has nothing to do with canola producers and is likely linked to the Huawei issue causing friction between the two countries.

In a release on Tuesday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said China's decision is wrong and unfair.

Notley is calling on Ottawa to "stop its navel-gazing about its internal controversies and fight back".

Source : Discoverairdrie

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Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Video: Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Join Certified Crop Advisor George Lubberts for this Prairie Certified Crop Advisor (Prairie CCA) field update from Enchant, Alberta. In this 12th video of the series, George takes us into a seed canola field where the male rows have been removed and the female plants are filling pods. This video was taken in the third week of August 2025.

George discusses the early signs of sclerotinia stem rot, explaining how infection begins in the stem, impacts pod development, and leads to premature ripening. He also shares insights on lygus bug management, including timing of spray applications to minimize feeding damage and maintain seed size and quality.

With cool, damp summer conditions, George notes that while disease pressure is present, overall field health remains good. The crop is just beginning to show early seed colour change, signaling progress toward maturity.

Topics Covered:

•Sclerotinia stem rot identification and impact

•Managing lygus bugs in seed canola

•Crop stage and seed colour change observations

•Timing insecticide sprays for optimal protection

•Insights from a CCA field perspective in southern Alberta