What’s yellow, baled, and wanted all over? Straw of course! The pretty sad wheat crop in Ontario has many farmers asking, “what’s straw worth?” and, “which cereal crop will give me the most?” Host Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson tackles that question and so much more in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. Hear more about straw… Read More
If you could move a chunk of acres to fall planting, diversify the crop mix, and get a jump on herbicide-resistant weeds, would you? All of that is an option with winter canola, but the crop isn’t without its challenges. Currently, there’s only one registered winter canola variety for Ontario growers, says Eric Page, research… Read More
Variable seed size, seed costs, and unique seeding equipment can make recommending a canola seeding rate nearly impossible except on a farm-by-farm basis. What agronomists can do is help farmers work backwards from the desired plant stand count to get where they need to be, but what if that number proves very expensive? The Canola… Read More
On Wednesday’s RealAg Radio, Kelsey Johnson, with iPolitics, joined show host Shaun Haney to recap what she saw and heard at both the house ag committee and trade committee meetings held Tuesday, April 2. At the ag committee meeting, Johnson says attendees heard from Viterra, Richardson International, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), whereas… Read More
The week after coming off her first trip to Saskatchewan, federal Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie Claude Bibeau says she has sent a letter to China requesting to send a delegation. The news comes at a Monday afternoon update provided by the minister, who says the issue between Canadian canola exports and China remains a… Read More
In her first trip to Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spent the day in Saskatoon discussing the issue of China blocking Canadian canola shipments with producers and industry stakeholders. Trade Diversification Minister, Jim Carr was also present during the two part meeting held late last week. Bibeau says they’re “ready to go” when… Read More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Winnipeg, Man,. on Tuesday and took questions from reporters about what’s happening with Canada’s trade relations with China. Questions centred on canola, as earlier that morning it was announced China banned Viterra from exporting canola seed due to “hazardous pests.” Trudeau said, “We’re continuing to work very hard to try… Read More
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture has been hosting meetings this winter to help farmers keep up with the most current science and best management practices to deal with clubroot. Many of the meetings have been conducted with the participation of Canola Council of Canada agronomists and other industry specialists. Allie Noble, crops extension specialist with… Read More
By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois With the SNC Lavalin debacle and the subsequent resignation of Liberal politicians, here’s the score so far: two cabinet ministers, one MP, two senior bureaucrats, including the Clerk of the Privy Council Office, and it’s probably not over. The SNC Lavalin case refuses to go away and has been garnering global media… Read More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last visited Winnipeg, Man., about a month ago for a funding announcement. According to his updated itinerary, he’ll be returning to the River City this week alongside Minister of International Trade Diversification, Jim Carr to meet with CEO and president of Richardson International, Curt Vossen. The meeting comes five days after… Read More
The news that China has blocked not just Richardson International’s exported canola, but all Canadian canola seed has sparked outrage among farmers across Canada. “It’s very frustrating to be shut out of our largest market. This is why you need your national organizations and your federal government constantly nurturing these relationships to keep trade functioning,”… Read More
The Canadian government needs to start being honest with itself and farmers. Talking a tougher game would be a great start. China has hijacked the Canadian canola industry. Until someone proves to me otherwise I will continue to say that China’s cancellation of a major grain company’s export license is political. Pretending that this is… Read More
Many questions still remain around why Chinese authorities blocked all canola export shipments from Richardson International about two weeks ago. For quite some time, China has been a major importer of Canadian canola. China’s imports account for roughly 4o per cent of of all Canadian exports of canola seed, oil, and meal. The Canola Council of Canada… Read More
Over the weekend, Members of Parliament held an emergency meeting to discuss the restriction of canola shipments from Richardson International to China. The news of the blocked shipments broke about two weeks ago, and China import officials say the revoked cargo was due to ‘hazardous pests’. Brandon-Souris MP, Larry Maguire says other MPs wanted this emergency… Read More
It was billed as an invitation to celebrate the coming into force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement For Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as Canadian Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr made the final stop of a cross-Canada tour with trade commissioners from Global Affairs Canada at Saskatoon. The event was meant to convey a… Read More