The announced withdrawal of six major farm groups from the Sustainable Ag Strategy steering committee is a safe move for two reasons. First, there is little belief that the current government has a chance at forming the next government, and the Conservative government-in-waiting will most likely abandon the process anyway. Second, farmers see environmental policies… Read More
Author: Shaney
Canadian farmers are more concerned about their financial realities in the face of sticky input prices and lower commodity prices compared to a year ago. Many say they are looking to manage their costs where they can, as expenses are one area that can be changed for a growing season, unlike the weather. As a… Read More
Fertilizer production is not only an economic driver in Canada, but it is also a critical resource for customers around the world, especially in the United States. During the rail strike by CN Rail and CPKC in the summer of 2024, one of the majorly concerned stakeholders was U.S. farm groups based on the reliance… Read More
Fresh off of the U.S. election last week, our attention now turns to the possibility of a Canadian election and what that potential outcome would mean for Canadian agriculture. According to the latest Abacus Data poll, the Conservatives hold a 19-point lead over the governing Liberals. No matter when an election happens in Canada between… Read More
With the U.S. electorate re-electing Donald Trump as president, there are many angles of agriculture and trade policy that will have an impact on Canada. The day after the election I joined host Jeff Sammut on Canada Now, which is on Canada Talks 167 on SiriusXM, to discuss the impact. Jeff is always very curious… Read More
In life, there are several topics traditionally avoided in conversation when gathering with friends, such as politics, religion, and money. Some ideas are best left parked in your head instead of being debated in the open as they can fray long-time friendships or even family. For the bond of Canadian agriculture going forward, the idea… Read More
The Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index for October 2024 is out, and it is very clear that farmers are pessimistic about their current farm financial performance relative to twelve months ago. Although farmers see improved financial performance in the future over their current state, even future performance is still seen as negative overall at 84 out… Read More
It’s no secret that there was still 2023 crop on-farm at the end of July. Some of that old crop won’t have moved even as the calendar flips to September. I’m not sure that this is uncommon during cycles where the market is in decline over an extended period. For three years prior, the best… Read More
Now that the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention have concluded and the election is just over 70 days away, it’s time to take stock as so much has shifted in the past two months. One thing clear to me is that former President Donald Trump needs a shift in strategy, or he could… Read More
It has been quite the past week in covering the events leading up to the Canada-wide rail strike and lockout. Then on Thursday afternoon, just 17 hours after the lockout began, the federal labour minister initiated Section 107 to force binding arbitration through the Canada Industrial Relations Board. With the union serving a new 72-hour… Read More