The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled its GMO labeling law laying out the minimum labeling requirements for food companies and retailers set to go into effect at the start of 2020, with a mandatory compliance date set for the beginning of 2022. As part of the standard, the USDA has created a… Read More
There’s no understating just how significant the loss of Canadian pulse exports to India has been this past year. Carl Potts, executive director of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, says that the organization’s budget — directly funded through a value-based levy — fell short by nearly 40%. It shows just how dire the situation has been… Read More
Although Agribition has come and gone, there’s still much talk around town about Jim Reeves, the the Texas longhorn steer that graced the show for the first time in 2018. Owner Kris Johnson says about the longhorns: “They’re a very very docile breed, which is what’s so special about Jim Reeves, he’s a big massive… Read More
After several months of trade war escalation between the U.S. and China, a temporary truce has been reached, following Saturday’s presidential meeting between between the countries’ leaders. Giving themselves 90 days to negotiate some solutions to over a hundred issues, the U.S. trade team led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will attempt to force… Read More
In an open letter to the prime minister, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) are calling for Justin Trudeau not to sign the United-States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA). The group states the USMCA will create further harm to the Canadian dairy sector. Adding that the trade document still contains, “provisions that would grant the U.S. oversight into the administration of… Read More
The federal government has made it very clear that it expects Canadian agriculture to grow, scale-up, and increase production — for both domestic and international markets. China is a key destination for several Canadian commodities, and a trade mission this week is yielding some very positive results. Last week, Canada sent four high-level ministers to… Read More
The midterm election has come and gone with some changes for the U.S. Congress, along with farmers and ranchers. The House of Representatives will have a Democrat majority and the Republican majority increased in the Senate. Make no mistake, with political power shifting slightly in Washington — Canadians are paying attention. The big questions are… Read More
Producers in the U.S. were more optimistic last month versus the month before according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The October barometer reading of 136 was 22 points higher than the prior month, which was the lowest reading for the survey since 2016. The producer sentiment jumped back up from the… Read More
It might not yet be December, but when things are all said and done the story of the year in agriculture for 2018 will be the U.S./China trade war. We have seen a a tit-for-tat tariff battle, shifting of traditional export pathways, and increased subsidy programs attempting to cover market losses while longer-term repairs are in… Read More
Grain markets were able to find gains as they entered the first few days of November, mainly driven by some rumour-driven optimism around the trade war between the U.S. and China ending sometime soon. After posting a monthly low to end October, soybean prices jumped about 4% in a few minutes on Thursday after a… Read More
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted a temporary extension to the registration of dicamba, including product sold under the trade name XtendiMax, through 2020. The EPA has fielded numerous complaints about spray drift from the product, the majority of which stem from dicamba sprayed on herbicide-tolerant crops, initially released in 2017. The EPA… Read More
When we think about cyber hacking, things like election tampering or credit card theft likely come to mind. A recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security report, however, focused on the very real threat of breaches and hacking of precision agriculture data. As tough as it has been for some to even conceptualize what data being… Read More
Montreal-based Saputo has announced its plan to acquire the activities of F&A Dairy Products, Inc., a dairy processing company with two sites in the United States, for US$85 million. Located in New Mexico and Wisconsin, F&A Dairy employs approximately 170 people. The purchase price will be paid in cash from cash on hand and available credit… Read More
Grain prices this week dipped lower as the complex dealt with some U.S. export numbers that came in below expectations and harvest 2018 picking back up. However, things might slow again soon as it looks there are a few spots that might get rain over the weekend or into next week, which would intuitively slow… Read More
Walk around the World Dairy Expo at Madison, Wisconsin, and you’ll find Canadians everywhere – from the show ring, to the cattle barns, and the exhibit halls. In the video below, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin and Jordon Underhill, general manager of the Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX), take the pulse of the attendees at the annual dairy showcase…. Read More