50 years ago this summer, Soviet agents traveled to North America in the middle of the Cold War and secretly bought massive amounts of grain, driving up world prices in one of the most significant events in the history of commodity trading — later dubbed the “Great Grain Robbery.” Russ Crawford, who had a front-row… Read More
The enrolment deadline for the AgriStability program has been extended from April 30, 2022 to June 30, 2022, without penalty, the federal government says. The decision to extend was based on numerous uncertainties farmers are facing, including the recent onset of highly pathogenic avian flu across much of Canada, along with unprecedented pricing challenges and… Read More
If I buy the best golf club, am I the best golfer? By the same token, if someone plants a cover crop, are they taking better care of soil health than someone who doesn’t? Not necessarily, says Shaun Haney, founder of RealAgriculture and host of RealAg Radio. The trouble is, policy can be prescriptive (i.e.,… Read More
In late March, the federal government announced a 60-day consultation on the Pest Control Products Act, specifically regarding how Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) can “transform” its pesticide review and approval processes. The review is general, and will take in comments from consultation sessions with provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, academia, Indigenous communities,… Read More
Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposal which could open the export doors even wider for Canadian canola producers. The proposed plan would recognize renewable diesel and jet fuel made from canola oil as “advanced biofuels” under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) is enthusiastic about… Read More
In an effort to gain a better understanding of agriculture on the Prairies, Liberal Member of Parliament for King-Hants in Nova Scotia, Kody Blois, recently visited Saskatchewan to learn about innovation happening in the province, and to hear what challenges producers are facing. Blois serves as the chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and… Read More
A section on page 192 of the federal government’s new emissions reduction plan that refers to a “green levy” on pickup trucks has caught the attention of many Canadians. Thousands of people, including many Conservative politicians, have not only read but shared a column titled “Trudeau planning a tax on trucks” that was published on… Read More
The plan to recognize renewable diesel and jet fuel made from canola oil as “advanced biofuels” under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was highlighted as part of an April 12 biofuel announcement by President Joe Biden. Biden visited POET Bioprocessing in Menlo, Iowa to announce a plan to allow E15 — gasoline with a… Read More
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has released a list of 19 recommendations for the federal and provincial governments to consider in developing the next five-year funding agreement for agricultural programs. “It was important to make sure our voice was heard as the provincial and federal governments make decisions on this important piece of… Read More
Since the federal government has published its plan detailing expectations of carbon emissions reductions by 2030, it’s certainly been the hot topic of many farming conversations. The Dairy Farmers of Canada has made a commitment for dairy to be net-zero targets for 2050, while the Grain Growers of Canada have acknowledged they will work with… Read More
The federal government rolled out its 2022 budget this week, and in it are several programs for agriculture, including funding for research, adaptation, carbon sequestration and more. One of those programs, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, received a major cash boost, from just under $200 million to $469.5 million over six years, starting in 2022-23. Announced last… Read More
Agriculture received multiple mentions in the 2022 federal budget unveiled on Thursday, mostly in the context of climate programs that had previously been announced. The budget, with its projected $52.8 billion deficit, also included some tax changes that could potentially impact farmers. As part of this live episode of RealAg Politics, we unpacked what was… Read More
The federal government is planning to boost funding for environmental programs through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the 2022 budget introduced on April 7. While the budget contains projections of a $52.8 billion deficit and national debt totalling $1.2 trillion at the end of 2022-23, the $452.3 billion spending plan and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s… Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced a change to the Advance Payments Program (APP) that aims to help producers finance record high input costs heading into the 2022 planting season. The federal government is temporarily waiving the requirement that cash advances issued prior to seeding be disbursed in two instalments — 60 per cent up… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) is calling on all parliamentarians to step-up action on current supply chain challenges. Valuable crop inputs, such as fertilizer, are in jeopardy of not reaching farms in time for the busy spring planting season. “Policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders in the agriculture value chain need to work together to respond… Read More
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