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 »
Category: United States
Impact of the U.S. midterm results on USMCA, immigration, and health care for agriculture
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 »
U.S. producer optimism buoyed by trade deals, higher price outlooks
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 »
Trump and China— Real structural change or shallow remedies?
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 »
Rumour mill drives most crop prices higher — This week in the grain markets
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 »
U.S. EPA temporarily extends registration of dicamba – with added restrictions
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 »
How susceptible is your farm data to hackers?
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 »
Saputo purchases two U.S. dairy processing facilities
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 »
Futures dip on export numbers — This week in the grain markets
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 »
Canadians take the pulse of World Dairy Expo
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 »
WASDE report pushes corn, soybean futures higher
After a very poor day for equities for the second day in a row, the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report pushed corn and soybeans higher and wheat lower on the day in the futures market. The market did not move substantially today, but some analysts hoped the market would of moved higher… Read more »
An anthem for the dairy farmer in your life
Let’s face it — when it comes to food marketing and advertising, companies get it so very wrong most of the time. Every now and again, though, companies get it so very right. In case you haven’t seen it, American dairy co-op Land O’Lakes recently released its fresh take on the Old McDonald nursery rhyme,… Read more »
Signed, sealed, delivered: A breakdown of USMCA for agriculture
The 25-year-old trade deal known as NAFTA is no more. As of Sunday night, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement know as USMCA was born. So what does this mean for producers? Let us break it down for you… Increased market access for American dairy farmers So far, market access into the Canadian dairy sector has been… Read more »
New trade agreement reached by Canada, U.S., and Mexico
Canada has reached an 11th hour trilateral trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico. The new deal is dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Multiple media outlets say Canada’s dairy sector will see changes, with American dairy farmers getting more market access at a reported 3.6 per cent. Additionally class 7 pricing will be revamped… Read more »
Scheer: What’s needed for NAFTA, our farmers, and rural Canada
We’re just a year away (or less?) from a federal election, even as deadlines on huge trade deals, such as NAFTA and CPTPP, loom large. As the opposing Conservatives narrow their gap in the polls with the reigning Liberals, Official Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Scheer answers some tough questions on how the Conservatives would be navigating… Read more »