Throughout COVID and the resulting logistical constraints of the past 18 months, some shortages have been overstated, inflated in their impact, or should have been ignored in hindsight — but the potential for a fertilizer disruption for 2022 is different. Fertilizer is not toilet paper or cheap clothing from China; regardless of prices or supplies… Read More
There are no indications China will be lifting restrictions on Canadian canola imports as a direct response to the exchange of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou for Canadians’ Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, according to the president of the Canola Council of Canada. The two Michaels returned to Canada on Friday following a deal negotiated by… Read More
Many farm shows took an 18-month pause during the pandemic as organizers dealt with provincial and state-level restrictions. As vaccines have rolled out and a new crop year has begun, many people continue to wonder how quickly and to what extent, farm shows will return. When our team talks to farmers, exhibitors, and show organizers,… Read More
Trade is so critical to the health of the Canadian economy. With vast natural resources, millions of acres of farmland, and a growing technology sector, Canada is open for business in the global trade arena. But are we really up to the opportunity in front of us as a nation? Some believe that change is… Read More
Agriculture is a big tent covering many different facets of food and commodity production. From coast to coast, there are so many different farm types, sizes, production systems and end use markets. How we describe ourselves within agriculture usually involves farmer, producer or grower, and for some, rancher, but at the end of the day… Read More
The UN Food Systems Summit is set to take place this fall, and what happens at the summit could very well impact your farm operation. Whether you are in British Columbia or through to Prince Edward Island, this meeting could inform policy back here in Canada and alter what is deemed acceptable practices in here… Read More
Since the beginning of time, the business world has focused on size. The pursuit of scope and scale to lower cost of production, increase efficiency, and expand markets has been celebrated from the hallways of Boeing and CN Rail to farms in Saskatchewan and Ontario. In Canada we have big farms and we have small… Read More
Syngenta Canada has decided to separate its seed and crop protection businesses as of June 1, 2021. The seed business will operate under the NK Seeds brand. “As a customer-focused organization, we regularly review our operations to ensure we are positioned for growth and evolving to meet the needs of the customer and industry. With… Read More
As beef demand has been strong, both domestically and in the export market, ranchers and feedyards are struggling to find strength in the fed cattle market. While the choice cutout reached $324.18 this week and packer profits have surged, the fed cattle price has not lifted in the same manner, leaving feedyards frustrated. While packers… Read More
The Governor of Michigan has eastern Canadians wondering how they became so dependent on a pipeline coming from the U.S., as Governor Gretchen Whitmer is determined to have Enbridge cap Line 5 which would starve Ontario and Quebec of 50 per cent of their energy supply. The Canadian government has taken court action this week,… Read More
With the expansion of domestic canola crush capacity in Western Canada, the term “renewable diesel” is being mentioned much more frequently. Many growers are familiar with biodiesel, but the two are different and not interchangeable. Although they can come from the same feedstocks, such as vegetable oil, the process of making them is different. Ian… Read More
As farmers begin to hit the field in Canada, ensuring adequate supplies of crop protection products is essential for the growing season. As retailers get product in place, growers are hearing of potential shortages of glufosinate and glyphosate in the U.S., both of which are critical early in the growing season. These two products touch… Read More
After what feels like a never-ending game of extra innings baseball, the standoff between the Prairie provinces and the federal government over changes to AgriStability needs to end. All stakeholders are exhausted from the timeline-stretching, blown deadlines, fake outrage, and pure avoidance to find a solution to a rather simple issue. At different times it… Read More
Much of the oxygen surrounding agriculture in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been used on dairy, but expect wheat to gain increased attention in the coming weeks if some U.S. farm groups get their way. Newly reappointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has mentioned USMCA enforcement and wheat several times in recent speeches, and… Read More
It appears the Biden and Trudeau governments are seeing many issues through a similar lense so far, especially when it comes to fighting climate change, enabling diversity, and a belief in science. Tuesday morning, Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Marie-Claude Bibeau and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack met virtually, to discuss the importance of the… Read More