Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says her government’s proposed Clean Fuel Standard will be “a great opportunity” for farmers, but she acknowledges the policy needs further consultation. The government is planning to introduce regulations to support the policy, which is designed to incentivize the use of lower carbon fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel, this… Read More
The news cycle has picked up on the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) issue recently, but the topic isn’t all that new. The policy has been developed over the past couple of years — since about 2016 — according to the CFS website under the government of Canada’s environment and natural resources arm. “I think the… Read More
Canada’s biofuel industry is very optimistic about the federal government’s proposed Clean Fuel Standard (CFS), which could potentially create significant new domestic demand for Canadian crops depending on how the regulations are drawn up. The goal of the policy, which has been in the works for several years, is to reduce the intensity of carbon… Read More
Farmers across Canada are beginning to hear more and more about the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) being proposed by the federal government. But what on earth is it? The government is aiming to reward low carbon fuel in the Canadian fuel system, potentially offering a lot of opportunity for biofuels — fuels made from things… Read More
Just how important is the European Union canola (rapeseed) market? According to LeftField Commodity Research, the region had more than doubled its year-over-year canola imports up to mid-March of this year, offsetting nearly half of the Canadian tonnage that would have been sold to China. That’s a significant increase, says Jonathan Driedger with LeftField, driven… Read More
As of now, there haven’t been any ethanol plants closed in Ontario, but there are reports that many plants are dialing back production amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does that mean for overall corn demand and, of course, price? Crosby Devitt, the new CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario, says that as of right now,… Read More
Whether it is the drop in oil prices due to a major spat between Russia and Saudi Arabia or the COVID-19 outbreak, the ethanol industry is dealing with massive challenges in the short term. Ethanol plants in Canada and the U.S. are reportedly scaling back production as a result, which is creating concern for corn… Read More
With just under two weeks left until the provincial election in Manitoba, the Progressive Conservative party has announced it would set the country’s highest biofuel requirements, if re-elected. Premier Brian Pallister says his government will increase the ethanol requirement in gasoline to 10 per cent and the biodiesel requirement from two to five per cent… Read More
After closing the doors to three feed production facilities last week, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has announced it has acquired Terra Grain Fuels (TGF) ethanol plant near Belle Plaine, Sask. The facility has been operational since 2008, and makes roughly 150 million litres per year. “We are very pleased that our business is being acquired… Read More
The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) awarded Zenneth Faye its Canola Influencer Award earlier this week at the commission’s annual general meeting. Faye is being recognized for his pioneering work in Saskatchewan farm organizations and value-added industries. He served on the commission’s board and the board of the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association in its early days. He… Read More
With producers keeping a close eye on the Canadian Pacific (CP) railway, the company recently shared that during last month (October) it broke an all-time record for the shipment of grain, moving 2.64 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products. This broke the last record held for September 2017. In a news release,… Read More
Anaerobic digesters have popped up on farms across Ontario in recent years, but there are none quite like the digester Rob McKinlay has installed at Harcolm Farms at Beachville, Ontario. What makes it unique is its size – at 20 kilowatts, it’s 10- to 20-times smaller than the other 42 digesters currently operating on Ontario… Read More
U.S. corn growers are voicing concerns and disappointment with their federal administration as the penny-per-bushel trade aid announced earlier this week added to frustrations over retaliatory tariffs and how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is handling ethanol policy. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tried to allay those concerns at the Farm Progress Show in Boone,… Read More
What do you get when you connect two ‘city kid’ filmmakers, a world-class chef, and nine farmers and their families? You get Before The Plate, a genuine behind-the-kitchen-door, on-the-farm look at how food is produced in Canada, and the passion and commitment chefs and farmers apply to their craft. The driving force behind the film… Read More
Why is ethanol important to agriculture, the environment, and consumers? On this episode of the Corn School, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin travels to the Honda Indy in Toronto for a firsthand look at how Ontario grain farmers are reaching out to consumers to increase understanding of biofuels and the role farmers play in powering cars in the… Read More