Although there are still talks happening behind closed doors, progress of the business risk management program (BRM) review feels as though it’s slow-moving. At this year’s CropConnect conference held at Winnipeg, Man., the topic was acknowledged by federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, but there was no mention of action — which is what most are… Read More
The chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has announced her retirement three years into a six-year appointment. With 35 years in the agriculture industry behind her, Patti Miller says she felt as though it was time. “You know, I think you get to a certain stage in your life and you start evaluating… Read More
After years of discussions about how to fund the development of new crop varieties in Canada, two seed industry groups have announced they’re moving ahead with a pilot program for the 2020 growing season. The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), along with the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), announced a Seed Variety Use Agreement (SVUA)… Read More
Saskatchewan’s Crop Insurance Program has announced a reduction in premiums to $7.40 per acre, down from $8.61 in 2019. According to a news release, on average Crop Insurance coverage holds steady at $224 per acre, a decrease from $230 per acre last year. “We are dedicated to maintaining a strong, growing agricultural economy,” says David… Read More
An announcement regarding the future of seed royalties on Tuesday in Winnipeg could be a turning point in a more-than-a-decade long discussion about the return-on-investment for seed companies and plant breeders in Canada. At FarmTech in Edmonton earlier this winter, both Todd Hyra, of SeCan, and Laurin Comin, of the Alberta Wheat Commission, presented on… Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) recently surprised many in the industry with its immediate withdrawal from the Grain Growers of Canada. While the exit itself bears dissecting, the underlying — and growing — discontent with the federal agriculture department requires just as much discussion. Markus Haerle is the chair of GFO and a grain… Read More
The Canadian Competition Bureau says it has received the required court approvals to move ahead with its investigation into allegations of anti-competitive interactions between several major crop input suppliers and Farmers Business Network (FBN) Canada. The bureau says it obtained court orders on February 11, requiring BASF, Bayer, Cargill, Corteva, Federated Coop, Univar Solutions, and… Read More
Eligible farmers in Alberta can access funding for grain dryer upgrades from a $2 million fund through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The Efficient Grain Dryer Program will be retroactive to April 1, 2018, to accommodate almost 100 applicants who have been waiting since that time, along with those who may not have known about… Read More
How do you find and keep great farm help? That’s a question all farmers are wrestling with as labour becomes tougher to find and often equally difficult to retain. With low unemployment rates, it’s tough to keep talent on the farm, says Mark Ferguson, business management specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
The Scoular Company has sold its edible bean business, which includes processing plants in southern Manitoba and the northern U.S., to a farmer co-op based in Michigan. Cooperative Elevator Co. is expanding its geographic footprint with the acquisition of Scoular’s edible bean operations, which includes processing facilities at Plum Coulee and Morden, Manitoba, and St…. Read More
In a story first posted to the Wall Street Journal, Canadian antitrust authorities are investigating some big players in the agriculture world. The Competition Bureau is reportedly looking at whether Bayer AG, Corteva Inc., and BASF violated Canadian competition law in their dealings against Farmers Business Network, which entered the Canadian market in 2018. According… Read More
Due to the trade war between the U.S. and China, the White House used the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) to compensate farmers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The compensation was justified based on farmers willing to be “true patriots” for the greater good of America’s decision to call out China on its trading practices…. Read More
The boards of directors for Huron Bay Co-operative Inc. and North Wellington Co-operative Services have put a recommendation forward to its farmer-owners to “blend” the co-ops through amalgamation. The two agriculture-based Ontario co-ops are working on a strategy on how best to merge business operations, governance, finances, assets, departments, and markets to “explore further opportunities… Read More
How is agriculture and food production impacting the planet? Many naysayers believe our farming and food system is taking its toll, linking agriculture to 10 to 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, while painting it as a resource hog that gobbles up 40 percent of the earth’s land base and 70 percent of its… Read More
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) released its Outlook for Principal Field Crops report this week, and is predicting a slight increase in both area seeded and overall yield of field crops for the 2020-21 cropping year, compared to 2019-20. Area Seeded: AAFC is expecting to see a slight increase in area seeded, as wheat and… Read More