Rural and urban communities have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic differently. From gaps in healthcare, to transport challenges and through to isolation, the pandemic has brought to light some significant differences between city and rural dwellers. Dr. Gabe Woollam, a family physician based at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, and president of the Society… Read More
Category: Industry Issues
Beautiful British Columbia has a diverse agricultural landscape — everything from dairy to berries — but it has its fair share (and perhaps its own unique set) of farming issues to contend with, too. For today’s RealAg LIVE!, host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Rudi Meier, dairy farmer from Abbotsford, B.C. and chair of B.C…. Read More
Canadians’ reliance on technology and systems for essential services, including in the agriculture sector, require constant innovation and vigilance in cyber security. Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair has announced $500,000 over four years to the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance for their Cyber Security Capacity in Canadian Agriculture project. The funding is… Read More
Four more members have joined the Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA), which spans voices and commodities across Canada. The ACA is pleased to welcome the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, the National Sheep Network, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, and Dairy Farmers of Canada to the alliance. The goal of ACA is to ensure farmers and ranchers… Read More
Everyone has a different motivation to get involved in agricultural policy — sometimes family is an influence, other times it’s the drive to advocate on behalf of a certain commodity. Essex, Ont., farmer Brendan Byrne was elected at the beginning of February to the position of chair for Grain Farmers of Ontario. Before being appointed,… Read More
While there are people on social media trying to cast a shadow on the quality and safety of Canadian butter due to a perceived change in its melting point, industry experts say butter consistency, cheese texture, and the composition of milk change every year — and throughout the year — based on ration changes of the… Read More
One year in to navigating a global pandemic, it’s clear that the economic health of consumers is ailing, but it’s difficult to measure by how much; and until COVID-19 passes, any economic recovery in Canada is strained. “It’s interesting, when we think back to a year ago, just before the pandemic really began to bear… Read More
Consultations are in full swing for the Responsible Grain code of practice, and the process is facing some bumps in the road. While the initiative is similar to what the beef industry went through with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, it’s not the same; and many farmers are expressing concern over whether or not this… Read More
The TireGrabber, a device that helps farmers safely change large-scale tires on their own, has been adapted to fit a wider range of tire sizes. Called the TireGrabber Reversible, the new self-changing device fits more tire sizes and industries — like construction, mining, and aviation — and has won first place for Farm Safety at… Read More
There are some aggressive targets for a reduction of fertilizer in the new climate plan proposal recently released by the federal government. At first glance, the support of the proposal by Fertilizer Canada doesn’t make a lot of sense. To explain, Clyde Graham, executive vice president of Fertilizer Canada, recently chatted with Shaun Haney on RealAg… Read More
The pandemic has affected the global economy in a broad sense, and there’s a lot of ground to recover from 2020. To help us get a sense of where 2021 is heading in terms of agricultural economics, Bernard Tobin is joined by Craig Klemmer, principle agricultural economist at Farm Credit Canada, who recently presented at… Read More
It might be a new year, and might feel like a reset, but the pandemic is still an issue that is impacting many segments of our economy, and the grain industry is no exception. Joining Shaun Haney for a discussion on the Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) priorities for the next year is Doug Chorney, newly… Read More
There’s trouble brewing in the mountains and the foothills, as a recent policy change by Alberta’s government puts significant grazing land and water sources at risk, according to ranchers. In June, the Alberta government quietly rescinded a coal mining policy, shocking ranchers in southwestern Alberta. Laura Laing and John Smith, who own Plateau Cattle Co.,… Read More
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled that Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) were above their maximum grain revenue entitlements for the 2019-2020 crop year. CN and CP will have 30 days to pay the amount by which they exceeded their revenue entitlements — $3.17 million and $2.17 million respectively —… Read More
Stewart Skinner, hog farmer from Listowel, Ont., (who you may have heard before on a Farmer Rapid Fire or two), joins us for today’s LIVE! Don’t miss a new LIVE! every weekday at 3 pm E on social media! SUMMARY Happy Friday! Stewart and his wife raise hogs just outside of Listowel. Does things a… Read More