Changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations could be on the way, following proposed changes published in the Canadian Gazette. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) are seeking comments from all interested parties on a proposal to amend the regulations to allow temporary foreign workers more flexibility in… Read More
Trust is the basic building block of all relationships. You can’t have accountability, commitment, or constructive conflict without first having trust. A lack of trust or a breach of it is a business risk, but how do we first measure, then manage that risk? Trust, like the word strategy, is thrown around largely as a… Read More
It seemed like a rare opportunity to bring agriculture to the fore when, in 2014, the United Nations’ General Assembly declared it to be the International Year of Family Farming. At the time, it said the declaration was to “raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger… Read More
At the 106th Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association annual general meeting, Gateway Livestock Exchange’s Anne Wasko presented on the current situation in the beef markets. The theme of the two-day convention was Strategies for Success, and in this episode of the RealAgriculture Beef Market Update, Wasko goes over just that. She says the biggest topic she’s… Read More
The 106th Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) annual general meeting was held this past week in Moose Jaw, Sask. More than 100 ranchers and industry from across the province came to the convention held on Monday to hear from keynote speakers with the formal AGM held on Tuesday. “We had a very productive AGM adopting… Read More
Yet another undercover animal abuse video rolled out last week, filmed months ago by animal rights “activists,” and released just as tweets and photos celebrating June as Dairy Month began. In the same week, mainstream media published several stories following up on what many farmers had brought forward at the Standing Committee on Agriculture: that… Read More
The provincial government of Ontario has informed the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) it will no longer act as the delivery agent of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) to organizations and collaborations. AAC say it is “shocked” by the decision. The organization has been a delivery agent of federal/provincial funding programs for more than 23 years. The… Read More
In April, the Saskatchewan RCMP expanded its Crime Watch Advisory Network from the southern part of the province to all of Saskatchewan, and it appears to be paying off. Mounties report 10,341 people have signed up for the free service as of Thursday, June 6. “The success stories from across the province show that we… Read More
For a large part of the corn growing area of Ontario the deadline to plant corn is fast approaching, however Agricorp — the crop insurance vehicle in the province — has announced several extensions and exceptions for the 2019 cropping year. Depending on the area, farmers may have up to June 17 to plant corn… Read More
If you’re quick about it, you may be able to access funding from the federal government to hire a summer student. Earlier this week, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced that the Youth Employment and Skills Program was open for applications. The program offers cost-share of employee wages and benefits at 50%, up to a maximum… Read More
Conexus Credit Union will be shutting the doors to seven of its rural locations in Saskatchewan. The seven locations are at Chamberlain, Cupar, Drake, Middle Lake, Mossbank, Spy Hill, and Young. Two other locations in Regina — one on Fifth Avenue, the other on Wallace Street — will also be closing. In a news release,… Read More
Canola farmers in Canada will now have access to $500,000 in interest-free loans under the Advanced Payments Program. The changes, effective immediately, are an increase from the original amount of $100,000. “The implementation of these regulations means that farmers facing cash flow challenges in Canada will now have access to up to $500,000 interest-free for… Read More
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, regulations are now in place for the changes to the Advanced Payments Program (APP) announced at the beginning of May. The original changes were an increase to the APP cap from $400,000 to $1,000,0000 for all producers in an effort to help farmers in the face of… Read More
The Agriculture and Agri-Food standing committee released its 16th report dubbed, Mental Health: A Priority for Our Farmers. The report comes after the committee, back on April 23, 2018, agreed to undertake a study on mental health challenges in the agriculture community. From June 13, 2018 to January 29, 2019 — the committee heard testimony… Read More
Statistics Canada is reporting last year’s 45.1 per cent decrease in realized net farm income (to $3.9 billion) as the largest since 2006. Realized net income is the difference between a farmer’s cash receipts and operating expenses, minus depreciation, plus income in kind. The attribution for the steep decline includes rising feed, interest and labour… Read More