In 2008, I started RealAgriculture.com as a hobby that has turned into a dream come true. Getting a chance to see agriculture across Canada, talking to farmers involved in all facets of agriculture makes me a very lucky person. Along with writing for RealAgriculture.com, I also host RealAg Radio on Rural Radio 147 every weekday at 4:30pm est.
Farmers in Canada continue to face challenges of supply disruption related to fertilizer, parts, and crop protection products. After a 25% price increase in fall of 2021, BASF Canada has increased the price of its glufosinate-ammonium containing products which includes Liberty 150 SN by another 40%. According to the company, this price increase is a necessity… Read More
Fertilizer pricing and supply have been real challenges for some growers across the country heading into the 2022 growing season. Farm and industry groups have been pushing governments to remove potential barriers, as many farmers are within a month of putting seed in the ground. Whether it has been the pandemic, shipping congestion, production failures,… Read More
A lot is being made of this week’s NDP/Liberal supportive arrangement. It’s a sort-of coalition government, though not officially. The idea is that the Liberals will be supported in confidence motions and budget approvals by the NDP, and in return the NDP will gain support for its pharma and dentistry plans. The result, if the… Read More
We depend on just-in-time delivery for just about everything. From printer ink, to fresh produce, to agriculture inputs, we’ve become accustomed to the convenience of perpetually stocked shelves and overnight delivery of online orders. If I need it and order it, it shows up on my doorstep tomorrow. That was, until the last two years,… Read More
All machinery-loving eyes were fixed on the National Farm Machinery Show at Louisville, Kentucky this week. RealAgriculture had a full team on the ground in the home-of-the-bourbon state to talk to clients and cover the latest in machinery features and technology. The show was only down 20 exhibitors from prior years, and when talking to… Read More
What should the future of Canada’s seed industry look like? How should new varieties be funded and brought forward? Described by some as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is currently leading consultations on modernizing the rules around plant breeding and how new varieties are brought to the market. Seeds Canada and other… Read More
In the first dispute panel decision under the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the Canadian government was instructed to change how it allocated its dairy tariff rate quotas, as the U.S. argued its dairy industry was not given the access it was promised. Both the Americans and Canadians claimed victory in the dispute panel decision,… Read More
No matter where you turn in Alberta right now, everyone is talking about the blockade at the international Coutts/Sweetgrass border crossing. Earlier in the week, we reported the crossing was choked off to any traffic and the disruption was weighing heavily on local and international commerce, including shipments of boxed beef, live cattle, and feed…. Read More
Alberta-based meat packers and feedyard owners are voicing concerns about the ongoing blockade to protest COVID-19 restrictions at the Coutts, AB/Sweet Grass, MT border crossing. We’ve talked to numerous sources in the meatpacking and cattle feeding sector to get a handle on the issues that are arising as a result of the Coutts crossing remaining blocked…. Read More
Have you ever tried to solve a problem and the solution you come up with is actually worse than the original problem? Sometimes, in our quest to solve an issue, we fail to realize the full ramifications of the potential solutions we come up with. It’s this kind of chain reaction that makes decision making… Read More
With the Government of Canada planning to implement its vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers on Saturday, January 15, and a looming domestic mandate still at play, the agricultural industry is trying to adjust and cope with the impact. Under the more pressing mandate of January 15, unvaccinated Canadian drivers will be allowed back to… Read More
If you’ve been a listener or reader of RealAgriculture for any length of time, you know that I am a massive fan of college football. Monday’s championship game lived up to all expectations. University of Georgia was my pick to win (you can check on Twitter!), so I feel good about that pick because they… Read More
There have been major disruptions to school schedules since March 2020 when the first wave of COVID-19 hit the shores of North America. Students of all ages, from elementary through university, have now faced several stops and starts, the full impacts of which are not even fully understood yet. As provinces such as Alberta and… Read More
Along with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a roundtable to address consolidation in the meat industry and the impacts on the cattle sector. President Biden opened the roundtable, held January 3, 2022, by mentioning the 50-14 proposed legislation by Tester/Grassley; how… Read More
Now that the federal cabinet has been selected and we have spent the last ten days worrying about the challenges and pin-pointing the potential positives, the agricultural industry needs to step back and build a better game plan when it comes to lobbying. Over time, lobbying for the agriculture industry has transitioned from being focused… Read More
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