There’s not a lot of change between the existing North American Free Trade Agreement and the newly minted, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for Canada’s beef industry. And the political and producer group powers that be is OK with that but wants very much to see ratification move forward. In the absence of ratification, American and… Read More
President Donald Trump is set to increase U.S. tariffs to 25 per cent from the current 10 per cent on roughly $200 billion worth of Chinese imported goods if there’s no trade deal in place by one minute passed midnight, March 2. Although just this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would be… Read More
Why do U.S. farmers support President Donald Trump so much? It’s the most common question I get from the audience following a keynote. At one time, I thought the answer would evolve along with his support based on trade and ethanol policies. I was wrong, and I am totally willing to admit it. Previously, just… Read More
With the U.K. set to leave the EU near the end of March, Britain’s trade minister, Liam Fox, seems to be keeping an eye on what he wants to happen after the fact. Many pro Brexiters believe that England would turn to the United States for a quick trade deal since President Donald Trump has shown… Read More
There’s a saying about beggars and choosers, but to call Canada’s durum customers beggars would be unfair. That said, Italy’s insistence of Country of Origin Labeling of durum that has edged Canada out of its market may ease — all in the name of quality. Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, says it’s an interesting… Read More
Speakers from all over the country and the world are brought to FarmTech, and for one of this year’s keynote speakers, they didn’t have to go far to find someone great to talk about politics. Tasha Kheiriddin, a Global News Radio host and political pundit from Toronto, Ont., says she was quite impressed with what… Read More
An independent financial advisor who keeps a particularly close eye on big banks and agriculture is urging farmers to consider delaying plans to borrow money, with so much uncertainty in world trade and bank rates destined to inch up. Rob Hall, of Bankspeak Inc., an Ontario-based consultancy that helps farmers and other businesses negotiate with… Read More
What a difference a couple of years make. It was not that long ago Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SaskPulse) was sitting on a $30 million surplus and the projection was for the surplus to just get bigger and bigger. Now, after what may have been the most disruptive year in Saskatchewan’s pulse growing history, reducing the… Read More
With so much uncertainty in the major soybean markets, canola prices continue their sideways movement, largely because the big trading funds are simply staying out of the market for now. Even if the U.S. and China resolve their trade issues, will we see a big uptick in the canola market? That remains to be seen,… Read More
Like other relationships, export markets take time, energy, and diplomacy to develop and maintain. Agriculture trade can be impacted by politics that have very little to do with farming and food, and big-picture friction in the short-term could threaten years of hard work. Just as good news rolls in on reduced tariffs for Canadian agriculture… Read More
Price fluctuations, higher input costs, and weather-related challenges over the past year took a toll on Canadian net cash income in 2018, and that lower to flat income is projected to continue into 2019, says agriculture economist J.P. Gervais. The chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada says that, even so, the overall the long-term… Read More
With U.S. shipments of agricultural commodities slowly beginning to resume after a lengthy hiatus due to the a trade war with China, farmers are relying on U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiating skills to close a deal with China. That’s no small feat as, the deal includes not only a resumption, but also an increase in… Read More
Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, Lawrence MacAulay is supporting the United Nations’ proclamation of the International Year of Plant Health for 2020. In a news release, MacAulay says the federal government recognizes protecting Canada’s plant resources is vital to food security and Canadians’ wellbeing. “Plants are not only the first link in the food chain, they are… Read More
Gerry Ritz lives by a quiet lake in the northeastern corner of the riding he used to represent in the House of Commons as a Saskatchewan MP and many years as agriculture minister for Stephen Harper. After two decades of life in politics he says his honey-do list is pretty long, but he has very… Read More
Will pulse growers get a great gift of pea export movement in the new year? Will the Canadian dollar get back to tracking crude oil? Will soybeans have another tough year in Western Canada? Chuck Penner, of LeftField Commodity Research, joins RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney for a market melee full of holiday joy and… Read More