Western producers are starting the new crop year with a lot more options.

"A farmer friend of mine from Manitoba called to say he was in his grain truck and he'd hauled his very first load of free-market wheat," said Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association.

The end of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly means that farmers can now legally sell their wheat and barley to any buyer in Canada or the United States.

Matching up Saskatchewan’s hundreds of species of bees with the right plants could give Saskatchewan's agriculture sector a big shot in the arm.

Dr. Cory Sheffield is using a special digital imaging apparatus to catalog the 200 plus different bee species in Saskatchewan by taking super high-quality pictures of the different kinds of bees.

Sheffield is a bee specialist -- known as the "Curator of Invertebrate Zoology" -- who's now working at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.

The countdown is on for the abolishing of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).

As of Aug. 1 the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act will take effect, giving Western Canadian wheat and barley farmers the freedom to market their grain themselves as they see fit. These producers will no longer have to follow the mandatory requirement to market through the CWB.

Prairie farmers mourning the impending dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly over wheat and barley sales are making a last-minute public outcry, ahead of the Aug. 1 changeover.

Under the new law, which was passed in December, the decades-old wheat board will still exist, however, it will no longer be the only buyer for many grain famers.

This is an “attack” on the democratic process, said Terry Boehm, president of the National Farmers Union, on Wednesday during a press conference.

Residents in the Rural Municipality of Corman Park whose property weathered significant water damage as a result of heavy rainfall in the last few months, will be eligible to receive funding from the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP).

“This is a program of last resort,” heard residents Wednesday evening at the RM’s municipality office in Saskatoon.

Residents can claim up to $240,000 for personal property, and $500,000 for small businesses.

A drought in the U.S. may be good for Saskatchewan producers, but not for your grocery bill.

In the U.S. farmers are already chopping their crops, which are wilting from the worst drought in the last 25 years.

A miserable year for farmers in the U.S. could result in Saskatchewan farmers cashing in.

"As one producer just told me recently its shaping up to be like three years in one. You know, well above average prices, well above average production. When you put the two of them together it could be an excellent year for many producers," said agricultural commentator Kevin Hursch.

Weather is always a battle for farmers in Saskatchewan but it really depends on where you are and who you ask to determine the state of crops across the province this year.

Right now farmers around the Battlefords area are hoping for a bit more sunshine and a little less rain.

So far this summer, some farms have recieved around 10 or more inches of rain this year. Usually on average, they only get about six inches at this time of year.

Following an official announcement by the federal government, Swiss-based commodities giant Glencore took one more step towards taking over Viterra.

Federal minister of Industry, Christian Paradis, said he approved Swiss company Glencore's application to acquire Viterra because the takeover will likely be of a net benefit to Canada.

In a news release, Glencore's director of agricultural products said they are pleased with the decision, and they are committed to investing in Viterra's operations.

An endangered species has made a return to Saskatchewan after nearly a decade without any sitings.

The Loggerhead Shrike had not been seen near Regina for seven years but the bird, who has an inclination towards barbed wire fences is back.

"They will hook or we call it impaling their food onto something sharp," said conservationist Rebecca Magnus.

She said that she has seen a couple of the Loggerhead  Shrike's leaving their trail of carnage outside of the city.