Keith Currie, who farms at Collingwood, Ont., is currently one of two vice presidents of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Early next week, he’ll stand in front of the membership and ask them to vote him in as the new president, following two years of leadership under Don McCabe. It’s a critical time for policy… Read More
Category: Regulatory
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blindsided not just provincial environment ministers but also premiers (and perhaps Canadians) by announcing a national carbon tax scheme that must be implemented by 2018. Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall released an emotionally-charged statement yesterday outlining how detrimental the carbon tax platform will be to Saskatchewan’s economy and the cost to individual… Read More
If agriculture wants to reduce the potential impact neonicotinoid seed treatments have on pollinators, it has to modify standard vacuum planters. That’s the verdict from Ridgetown College, University of Guelph researcher Dr. Art Schaafsma. “Essentially, what we’ve created is a drift problem,” says Schaafsma, who spoke publicly about his research for the first time last… Read More
A RealAgriculture reader poll suggests farmers and the agricultural industry want Grain Farmers of Ontario to continue the fight against the province’s new seed treatment regulations that restrict neonicotinoid use. Last week we asked readers: Should GFO Keep Fighting for Neonic Use? More than 75% of voters who cast ballots in the online poll indicated… Read More
Monsanto is still confident Canadian farmers will be able to plant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans this spring, but seed dealers and partners are working diligently on Plan B to ensure seed alternatives. The company continues to hold hope that it will receive European Union (EU) approval for the glyphosate and dicamba tolerant soybeans in… Read More
It’s been a good news week for Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Mark Brock. But he’s unsure how positive reports on the impacts neonicotinoid seed treatments have on pollinators will affect provincial grain farmers. Earlier this week, reports from Health Canada and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) delivered a one-two punch supporting the embattled… Read More
Uncertainty goes hand in hand with change, and so after almost a decade of Conservative government, the shift to a Liberal majority in Ottawa brings with it plenty of questions, including questions about the future of Canadian agriculture (in no particular order): Who’s going to be the next ag minister? The Liberals have several ag veterans returning to… Read More
What’s your opinion on Canada’s agriculture research direction? If you’re like most, you probably have an opinion on the importance of research, what needs more attention, or how priorities need to shift, but imagine if you had to sit down and actually create the roadmap forward of achieving those goals. It’s quite the challenge, but a… Read More
The Canadian Seed Trade Association has launched a new database help easily identify PBR protection on crop varieties registered for sale in Canada. The Crop Varieties Registered in Canada and Plant Breeders’ Rights Status database was created by the CSTA with the assistance of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Variety Registration Office and the Plant… Read More
It’s been a rather down week on several fronts — from the global market meltdown, to frost happening not once but twice in areas of Alberta. To the good, harvest picked up steam in several areas of Western Canada, and Ontario’s soybean crop is developing quickly, giving hope to RealAgriculture’s agronomist Peter Johnson that winter… Read More
Confused about what the new rules governing neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed means for seed orders this fall? You’re not the only one — the Ontario government is hosting information sessions and webinars this week, but several questions and plenty of confusion swirl about what paperwork you must do to access neonic-treated seed. To help… Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario have received a court date regarding its case requesting a stay of the Ontario government’s new regulations limiting access to neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed. The regulations came into force as of July 1, 2015. The case will be heard September 28th, 2015, says GFO. If a stay is granted,… Read More
By Terry Daynard. This blog post first appeared on Terry’s blog, here. You can contact Terry via Twitter at @TerryDaynard. The recent decision by the Government of Ontario to critically restrict usage of neonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybean growers, despite limited scientific support, has been a real eye opener for Ontario farmers. This… Read More
Scott Horner of HyTech Production Ltd., based at Lethbridge, Alberta, has been named president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association following the CSTA’s annual meeting held last week at Windsor, Ont. A board member since 2008, Horner also represents CSTA on the board of directors of the Seed Association of the Americas. He has also… Read More
Susan Curtis, by all accounts, is the ideal partner for a beekeeper. Her multi-generation dairy farm near Joyceville, Ont., grows ample flowering crops to keep bees fed and producing honey. She was even willing to widen and improve an access road for the bee yard, all for the trade off of a few cases of… Read More