You’ve probably noticed by now that news links are no longer showing up on Facebook and Instagram. If you haven’t or aren’t on these platforms, you may have noticed television ads for news sites urging you to download their app, complete with QR code on the screen to direct you where you need to go…. Read More
Category: Industry Issues
In the most recent Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index survey, farmers were asked about whether or not they were concerned about consolidation within the ag industry. From ag retail, to precision ag companies, and more on to equipment dealerships, farmers weighed in on what consolidation worried them most. As for category, the highest rating was given… Read More
No matter how you slice it, Ontario’s Ford government took liberties with the rules when it decided to re-draw the boundaries of Toronto’s Greenbelt. (You can read the auditor general’s report about how many liberties, here). A staunch supporter of farmland preservation, Peggy Brekveld, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, says that there’s no doubt… Read More
One of the busiest people in agriculture may be Senator Rob Black. The Ontario senator seems to be everywhere these days talking to everyone on a host of issues. Earlier this month, Black’s sponsored bill to establish Food Day in Canada received unanimous support at third reading in the House of Commons. The first official… Read More
Agriculture is an industry engrained across Canada and there are many similarities to the needs of Canadian farmers and farmers from other countries. Newly-acclaimed president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Keith Currie, discusses what the CFA’s current priorities are and how international collaboration has influenced the work he is doing on behalf of… Read More
Doing right by the environment is a good thing, but what happens when environmental policy and trade start to mingle? There’s concern that when environmental issues are generalized and applied globally through trade agreements it creates larger problems by forcing producers to fit standards that do not necessarily apply to their region, possibly discounting conservation… Read More
The new president of Manitoba’s general farm organization says advocating for farmers when it comes to policies around sustainability and the environment is at the top of her to-do list as she steps into the role. Jill Verwey was elected president of Keystone Agricultural Producers at KAP’s annual general meeting last month. As she explains… Read More
The past three years have been a rollercoaster ride for the grocery retail business. Back in February 2020, grocery retail was searching for ways to delight consumers and compete with food service and restaurants that were gaining an increasing share of the food wallet. But then COVID-19 changed everything — suddenly grocers were asked to… Read More
The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) says it is gun-shy when it comes to placing their faith in the rail companies’ ability to meet the demand of grain shipments needed this fall and in to the busy winter shipping season. The WGEA handles approximately 90 per cent, or more, of western Canada’s bulk grain exports,… Read More
Humans are wired for connection, whether it’s in personal relationships with a spouse, children, friends and family, or through business (why do you think reps come out to your farm to see you in person?). Dr. Jody Carrington, psychologist, best-selling author, and public speaker, says meaningful face-t0-face interactions with loved ones is the key to… Read More
Statistics Canada is pivoting away from farmer-answered surveys and is utilizing various technologies to provide agriculture-related information about crops across Canada. The AgZero program uses alternative data sources including Earth observation data and satellite imagery to create reports regarding Canada’s agricultural production, reports that were usually compiled from data farmers provided. Omar Youssouf, unit head with… Read More
Ag machinery sales are showing a decline compared to last year, looking at the first seven months of 2022, however, this isn’t necessarily indicative of a bad year, says the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The AEM flash report for the month of July shows a decrease of 7 per cent for tractor sales in Canada… Read More
Global need, market prices, and implications from the pandemic have all demonstrated the benefits of bolstering local agriculture infrastructure, something that Alberta NDP ag critic, Heather Sweet, says the province needs to play catch up on. When comparing the Prairie Provinces, Alberta is showing far less traction with breaking ground on new value-added processing than… Read More
With 2022 harvest knocking at the door, producers are starting to look ahead to the 2023 growing season, and it appears the Canadian government will continue to impose its 35 per cent sanctions on fertilizer from Russia and Belarus. Canada is the only country that has implemented and maintained sanctions against fertilizer from these countries,… Read More
With numerous global variables still affecting commodity market prices, putting on blinders and bringing the focus down to individual operations may be the wisest way to navigate the uncertainty. Grain markets are still under the influence of several major unknowns including the Russia-Ukraine war, how much grain China will actually export, and Taiwan strait tensions,… Read More