A year after beginning to explore the idea, votes at Monday’s annual general meetings of both the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Winter Cereals Development Commission will see the two groups amalgamate into one. Brett Halstead, chair of Sask Wheat, spoke with RealAgriculture field editor Atley Hamlin right after the vote (listen to… Read More
Category: Ag Policy
John Deere has signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that’s aimed at ensuring farmers and ranchers maintain the right to repair their own green and yellow farm equipment. The MOU, signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in Puerto Rico this past weekend, is intended to secure “fair and reasonable”… Read More
The total number of birds on Canadian farms lost due to H5N1 avian influenza nearly hit the 7 million mark in the 2022 calendar year, with over 40 per cent of those birds affected in the last two months in southern B.C. Heading into 2023, the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is… Read More
There are fewer farmers every year in Canada. That’s just reality. The impacts of a shrinking demographic are complex and far-reaching, but also sometimes right in front of us — like now, during the Annual General Meeting season of producer groups. The same farmer attending four different meetings, for example, doesn’t necessarily make the most sense,… Read More
The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) have announced a new management collaboration. Greg Sundquist, chair of SaskFlax, says the new arrangement offers “administrative and operational efficiencies within our industry ensures that growers’ levy dollars are put to the best use.” Canola and flax levies will continue to be… Read More
It was one year ago this month that Canada disclosed the finding of an atypical case of BSE. While the finding didn’t impact most markets, it did create trade frustrations with China that are still not rectified. Unlike classical BSE cases, atypical BSE appears spontaneously in older cattle, even in countries where no classical BSE… Read More
Looking ahead to a new year and a new production season with optimism is exciting, and there are plenty of good reasons for farmers to be in a positive mindset for ’23. Challenges can create opportunities, too, so even the less-good can end up manageable with the right plan. As we look to the year… Read More
The Canadian Transportation Agency has issued its ruling on how CN and CP Rail’s profits from transporting Western Canadian grain compared with their regulated maximum grain revenue entitlements for the 2021-2022 crop year. CN’s grain revenue last crop year was reported at $592,208,589 — $3,068,088 above its maximum entitlement, while CP’s grain revenue was $515,508,638… Read More
This month, representatives from nearly 200 countries, met in Montreal for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of this COP15 was to hammer out an agreement on conservation and biodiversity protection. Pierre Petelle, president of CropLife Canada, says that going in to the meeting,… Read More
The federal government is looking at options for how to spend $34.1 million to help farmers in Eastern Canada who have been affected by 35 per cent tariffs applied to fertilizer imports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. While the tariff proceeds have been committed by the Canadian government to restoring the power… Read More
One of my favourite parts about December is looking back at the year and reflecting on the past 12 months. Of course there are always personal aspects to it, but what I especially like doing is looking back at some of the great conversations I’ve experienced through my job here at RealAgriculture. I’ve compiled a… Read More
The full brunt of the 35 per cent tariff on Russian-sourced nitrogen in 2022 didn’t just equal millions of dollars paid by Canadian farmers, it also put a spotlight on the challenges of some global trade flows. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) commissioned StoneX to explore the issue, and author of “Farmers Need Fertilizer,” Josh… Read More
After committing $115 million in tariff proceeds to Ukraine, the deputy prime minister says she’s working with the agriculture minister to “resolve the situation” regarding the cost of 35 per cent tariffs applied to fertilizer sold to farms in Eastern Canada. Chrystia Freeland, who is also the finance minister, was asked about the fertilizer tariffs… Read More
Policy makers affect agriculture from the ground up so it makes the most sense to have growers involved in policy making. But whose job is it to make sure growers’ voices are heard? Dean Roberts with Canadian Canola Growers Association was at Farm Management Canada’s 2022 AgExcellence conference to discuss how growers can get involved… Read More
It’s been two years since the federal government first announced its 30 per cent fertilizer emissions reduction target. That means more than 20 percent of the timeframe for farmers, agronomists, fertilizer suppliers, and researchers to work toward meeting the goal by 2030 has already expired. The clock is ticking, but there’s been very little progress… Read More