Agriculture ministers from across Canada are still working on reaching a consensus on possible changes to the AgriStability program leading up to the conclusion of the annual federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) ministers meeting on Friday. Ministers met virtually to kick off the annual FPT meeting last Friday, where they discussed a wide range of topics, with a… Read More
Category: Stability Programs
A coalition of farm groups is encouraging federal and provincial governments to get creative in figuring out a way to break the stalemate that’s preventing changes to the AgriStability business risk management program for farmers. The issue of business risk management reform is expected to be at the top of the agenda for the twice-delayed… Read More
The dates have finally been announced for the twice-delayed federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers’ meeting that was originally scheduled to be held in Guelph, Ont. in July. The ministers will hold their annual FPT meeting over two virtual sessions on November 20 and November 27, with a joint communiqué to be released at… Read More
The Manitoba and federal governments have hammered out the details of the province’s cattle set-aside program funding delivered through AgriRecovery. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic economic shutdown and temporary processing plant closures, the federal government announced in early May that it would providing up to $50 million for livestock set-aside programs. Normally, a… Read More
The federal government has opened applications for the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund, a $35 million fund to cover the added cost of personal protective equipment, updates to worker housing, and sanitization stations, as examples. The fund was originally announced in late July as part of a $58.6 million commitment by the government. Money can be… Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) have been joined by two other eastern Canadian grain groups, to put further public pressure on the federal government to make adjustments to the AgriStability business risk management program. The three grain groups have launched an online and radio campaign claiming that Canadian grain farmers are going out of… Read More
Agriculture leads the economy in Saskatchewan, and with the next provincial election slated for October 26, farmers are keen to know each party’s agricultural platform. Todd Lewis, president of Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and farmer south of Regina, joined Shaun Haney recently to talk about the organization’s concerns for provincial policies and how… Read More
Grain farmers from Ontario to the Maritimes want the Canadian government to respond to American farm subsidies the same way the government has defended Canadian interests against aluminum and steel tariffs. The Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and Producteurs de grains du Québec have launched a joint campaign to raise awareness of the… Read More
Saskatchewan’s election is coming up on October 26, 2020. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has released a set of proposals designed to get candidates from all political parties thinking about how best to support Saskatchewan’s agricultural sector. “Agriculture has ended up being a major driver of the economy during COVID-19,” says farmer and… Read More
It’s a bit early to see what the impacts of the recent frost are on crops in Saskatchewan but for the most part, David Marit, minister of agriculture in Saskatchewan, says the crop is either ripe, in a swath, or being straight cut. As of last week, 28 per cent of the crop was harvested,… Read More
What works for animal production sectors won’t necessarily work for the grain sector, says the chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), referring to the Canadian Pork Council’s latest request for changes to business risk management (BRM) programs, specifically AgriStability. While farm groups across the country have been pushing for BRM reform for years, GFO’s… Read More
The federal government needs to step up and fix its business risk management programs for farmers. It should also consider paying farmers for soil management practices that sequester carbon, invest in rural internet, and partner with other countries that trade with China to gain leverage on international markets. That’s according to federal New Democrat agriculture… Read More
New data on farm cash receipts for the second quarter of 2020 sheds some light on the early impact the pandemic has had on farm income across the country and across different commodities. Livestock receipts were down $629 million — nearly 10 per cent — from April through June of this year versus the same… Read More
Editor’s note: The federal government announced an extension of the application window through the Ministry of Finance on August 31. The deadline to apply to the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is Monday, August 31. With just days to go before the application window closes, many in agriculture, including producer groups, are calling on the… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario is asking the government to improve the programs put in place to help farmers if their businesses are in a loss position because of the pandemic. GFO is asking the government to fully fund the Risk Management program in Ontario, to restore the AgriStability program to 85 per cent (vs 75… Read More