“It’s literally costing me money now to seed canola… $200,000 that…[we] lost off of our canola, just like that, just due to the tariffs.” This is the message that Christi Friesen of Rebellion Farms based out of Brownvale, Alta., wanted to get across to Premiere Danielle Smith in a recent post on X (see below)…. Read More
Category: Industry Issues
The backlash and subsequent scaling back of environmental policies affecting European agriculture offers a lesson for governments and political parties around the world, says a policy analyst with a European consumer advocacy group. The European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy was introduced about five years ago, and included steep restrictions on pesticide and fertilizer use,… Read More
The next decade holds plenty of possibilities for the Canadian canola market, but not all of them are positive. With innovations in the aviation fuel industry and expansion of biofuel refinery capacity, such as Imperial Oil developing a new facility at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, canola as a biofuel is a game-changer, says… Read More
The division between urban and rural populations has existed for generations. It’s understandable—someone living in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Calgary might find it hard to grasp the challenges a rancher faces to produce the high-quality ribeye steak on their plate. Conversely, that same rancher might struggle to relate to the Calgarian’s daily life and… Read More
There are no shortage of issues when it comes to agricultural policy in Canada, and advocacy is important to ensure that farmers’ voices are heard. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) held its AGM last week and welcomes new president Bill Prybylski. In this interview with RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney, Prybylski says he’s really looking… Read More
Unless you count volcanic eruptions out at sea (and we don’t), every year there are fewer and fewer acres available for growing food, building houses, or setting aside for habitat. The decision of what should be built where or how land should be used is a complicated, complex, and controversial topic. In this episode of… Read More
When it comes to agriculture and the environment, some people see agriculture as a solution, while others view it as a problem. And in politics, people with different perspectives and levels of awareness about farming often sit in the same caucus or cabinet, influencing where a party stands on environmental policies that affect agriculture. Canada’s… Read More
The federal government is contributing $3.1 million to further develop the National Index on Agri-Food Performance. A pilot version of the index, which was designed to measure and support marketing around the sustainability of food produced in Canada, was launched in May 2023. As of early 2024, the Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking, led by executive… Read More
When it comes to Canadian agriculture, criticism towards federal policies and their broader implications is not uncommon. Farmers’ list of grievances reflect legitimate concerns over how this federal government’s bent will shape the sector’s future. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between warranted critique and misplaced outrage. A recent social media post from Agriculture Minister Lawrence… Read More
Drew Spoelstra, a dairy and crop farmer from Binbrook, Ont., has been elected as the new president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Spoelstra was chosen to the lead the provincial farm lobby at an executive meeting following the conclusion of the organization’s annual convention in Toronto this week. He has served on the… Read More