Cattle producers will have access to significantly higher borrowing limits under an enhanced Manitoba Livestock Associations Loan Guarantee (MLALG) program, according to Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development minster, Ron Kostyshyn. The borrowing limit for the MLALG program has increased to up to $8 million from $5 million for associations and up to $500,000 from… Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few… Read More
Ontario beef farmers will now have access to double the individual loan limits under the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee program. For the purchasing of feeder cattle, new members who are enrolled in the program are now able to access a loan for up to $100,000 (an increase of $50,000), and existing members are now… Read More
In 2011, a new provincial cost-shared Risk Management Program (RMP) was created for the Ontario agriculture industry. Farmer leaders across commodity groups came together as the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC), and worked with the provincial government to design a made-in-Ontario solution to help bring “predictability, stability and bankability to the farming sector.” In the fall of 2013,… Read More
Ontario is proposing amendments to the Crop Insurance Act, 1996, that, if passed, would mean more types of agricultural products would be eligible for coverage by production insurance. Production insurance, a part of Ontario’s business risk management programs, is designed to help farmers manage losses due to events like weather, pests and disease. The costs… Read More
Your farm is your business and your career, and just like any other line of work, professional development is important. How do you make sure your farm is running at its most profitable? How do you get up-to-speed on rules and regulations? How to do you keep track of where your farm is at? The… Read More
The U.S. is running out of options if it wants to avoid facing retaliatory trade action from Canada in response to its country of origin labeling (COOL) rules. Canada could have permission from the World Trade Organization to implement retaliatory tariffs by this time next year if the American government doesn’t make changes to COOL… Read More
If you’re one of the farmers who submitted an application for Growing Forward 2 funding and were turned down, you’re not alone. Whenever a new or changed funding model rolls out, there’s always a learning curve. But does a first rejection mean you should abandon the application? Not necessarily. As Margaret May, regional program lead… Read More
Western grains and oilseeds producers who have been unable to market their crops due to rail transportation challenges and flooding have been granted more time to repay their 2013 cash advances under the Advance Payments Program (APP), the federal government has announced. A stay of default on the repayment of advances for producers who received… Read More
You are probably reading a lot right now about the challenges with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Sheila Pratt with the Edmonton Journal has been focused on the issue as it applies to allegedly reducing labor costs and the mistreatment of workers. Keep in mind that that the temporary foreign worker program is accessed by… Read More
The need to help farmers manage the increasing risks associated with farming is a key election issue for the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). In this Ontario Election 2014 podcast, RealAgriculture.com’s Bernard Tobin speaks with Henry Van Ankum, chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, about the organization’s ‘Recommendations for Smart Growth’ election platform it… Read More
As news of the sixth and seventh confirmed on-farm case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was announced (as of February 5, 2014), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is urging farmers to make use of a special biosecurity intake for farmers impacted by the devastating disease. The… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz was on hand at the Canterra Seeds warehouse in Winnipeg, Man., to announce the tabling of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The Act addresses a total of nine areas where Canada’s regulations need “modernizing, amending and streamlining of processes”. While there isn’t a monetary figure attached to… Read More
Feedback from last year’s Advanced Farm Management Program was overwhelmingly positive. So much so in fact, that the program has expanded to three different locations in Ontario. This year, Guelph, North Gower and Chatham, Ontario will host the program, giving participants in each location a chance to bring their farm management skills to the next… Read More
As of Monday, March 4, 2013, the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) is accepting cash advance applications for the 2013-14 Advanced Payments Program (APP). “This is the third year that we have accepted applications ahead of the April 1st program start date,” says Rick White, General Manager of CCGA. “By doing so, we provide farmers… Read More