By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Oct 31, 2023 | 9:33 AM

This year’s pumpkin harvest in Canada and the United States is a stark reminder of the fact farmers are at the mercy of the weather gods.

Alberta pumpkin farmer Mike Williams said the weather was so dry when this year’s season began that he irrigated his farm in Ponoka with 12,000 litres of water every week for two months.

While this season’s crop of 3,000 pumpkins was comparable to last year’s, Williams said expected revenue won’t cover the cost of the water bill.

Tam Andersen, who grows pumpkins in Sturgeon County, Alta. said she faced a similar bone-dry start to the season, but then said it didn’t stop raining after July.

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Cargo is moving again on the St. Lawrence Seaway, but it could take a week to clear the backlog caused by a strike that’s affected customers during the peak grain shipping season.

Management of the seaway and Unifor struck a tentative deal on Sunday, ending the strike that began on Oct. 22.

Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario, said around six million tonnes of grain are exported through the St. Lawrence seaway annually, and the delivery of over 1,000 truckloads had to be cancelled last week due to the strike.

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Syngenta Group has been recognized as top agriculture employer for the seventh consecutive year.

The 2023 Science Careers Top Employers Survey named Syngenta as one of the globe’s top five leading employers.

Trevor Hohls, global head of seeds development said Syngenta is committed to its employees, research and development, collaboration, and innovation leadership.

“We pride ourselves on the common vision of becoming the most diverse, trusted, and innovative team committed to driving farmer success. This consecutive recognition is an amazing tribute to all our employees who live this mission every single day,” Hohls said.

Syngenta Group employs 59,000 people across more than 100 countries.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW