The Grain Millers Harvest Showdown hosted their fourth annual Canola Expo. The event brought together a number of speakers to touch on concerns of farmers in the region.
Clark Anderson, director of the Yorkton Exhibition, says that the expo began four years ago, as the Yorkton region saw two canola crushing plants take shape. In response, the expo was created to reflect the increased importance of canola to the Yorkton region, as well as give farmers an informative seminar that would help them in their business.
The goal of the expo every year is to address the specific concerns on the farm, and Anderson says that the program reflects the main concerns people have in any given year. This time, it was a priority to address the bumper crop of the 2013 season.
"We always try to pick topics of current interest to farmers and producers. This year pricing is a big thing on the farmer's mind. With the huge crop they've taken in, prices are dropping."
He says that other issues reflected in this year's events are things like crop rotations and the complications that can come with growing more canola in the region.
Overall, the program was very optimistic, Anderson says, especially compared to when the expo started four years ago. Still, responding to any problems farmers might have remains the priority, and having a big program to attract top quality speakers is the overall goal of the event.
"We try and address the problems that are occurring in the field that summer, so in the fall we try to provide some answers."
