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 In June, the Alberta government quietly rescinded a coal mining policy, shocking ranchers in southwestern Alberta.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
Category: Industry Issues
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
Scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Western University have teamed up with PlantForm Corporation to develop an edible antibody therapeutic that will protect human and animal health by preventing E.coli 0157 infection in pigs. The $150,000, two-year project is supported by OMAFRA through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative, which is fed by the five-year,… Read More
The latest Agricultural Equipment Manufacturers numbers for November are in and tractors in the <40 hp range saw the biggest growth. Overall, tractor sales rose 4.4 per cent for the month and grew 9.1 per cent year-to-date (YTD). While 40 to 100 hp tractors sales stayed fairly flat for the month, YTD they grew 3.9… Read More
The 11th annual Canada’s Food Price Report forecasts an overall price increase of three to five per cent for the upcoming year — which equates to roughly $695 per household. Dalhousie University, along with 24 collaborators from multiple universities, published the report which predicts the most significant increases in food prices will be in the… Read More
Bill Greuel of Protein Industries Canada joins Shaun Haney for today’s LIVE! to talk about increasing ingredient manufacturing and food processing capacity in western Canada. Don’t miss the LIVE! weekdays at 1 pm M/3 pm E on your favourite social media platform! SUMMARY Presentation to the standing committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food last week Questions… Read More
While women make up over 30 per cent of farmers, it’s only recently that they have seen an increase in representation in advertising for everything from crop protection products, to lending, to equipment. But simply casting a female model in an ad campaign, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean companies have done any real research into… Read More
Sustainability can be defined several different ways, but during Syngenta’s recent Media Summit, which gives a preview of the company’s initiatives and future directions, the company defined the word for themselves and their customers. “It’s pretty simple. For us, sustainability means helping farmers do the best job they can to grow the best crop,” says… Read More
A new Driving Back to Work grant program in Alberta will make the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) required to earn a Class 1 commercial licence more affordable. The new program, titled The Experience and Equivalency program, will reduce the time it takes for Class 3 drivers to upgrade to their Class 1. A dedicated $3… Read More
How has the protein supply chain changed in the last while, and how has COVID-19 changed things from March until now? What economic principles drive those price fluctuations that you might see in the grocery store? And why aren’t there more federally inspected processing plants? It’s time to talk livestock processing capacity challenges and opportunities… Read More
Back in June, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency reported some nefarious goings-on regarding Kazakhstani groups trying to acquire Canadian plant genetics. “What has happened is that Kazakhstan companies recognize the Canadian varieties as being leading genetics that would work in their country,” says Lorne Hadley, executive director of Canadian Plant Technology Agency. “For the second… Read More
According to the latest trade report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), one of Canada’s greatest opportunities for growth in global trade is in the food and beverage processing industry. “World population growth, higher purchasing power in emerging markets and new trade agreements are key factors in potentially creating more opportunities for Canada to increase exports,”… Read More
From farm level to the corner office, there are more jobs available in agriculture than ever before. But the possibility of a future talent shortage is a definite concern, and that discussion was part of the recent farm management-focused week of the Syngenta Media Summit. “It’s been a hot topic lately, specifically in Syngenta, but… Read More
Benchmarking is a comparison, but it’s not a competition. Benchmarking can be a useful tool to understand where your farm management practices can improve on yield, profit margin, operation efficiency, or gross margin. Even human resources can be benchmarked, but it’s what you do with the numbers next that really counts. Maggie Van Camp, national… Read More