The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) says it is gun-shy when it comes to placing their faith in the rail companies’ ability to meet the demand of grain shipments needed this fall and in to the busy winter shipping season. The WGEA handles approximately 90 per cent, or more, of western Canada’s bulk grain exports,… Read More
Category: Industry Issues
Humans are wired for connection, whether it’s in personal relationships with a spouse, children, friends and family, or through business (why do you think reps come out to your farm to see you in person?). Dr. Jody Carrington, psychologist, best-selling author, and public speaker, says meaningful face-t0-face interactions with loved ones is the key to… Read More
Statistics Canada is pivoting away from farmer-answered surveys and is utilizing various technologies to provide agriculture-related information about crops across Canada. The AgZero program uses alternative data sources including Earth observation data and satellite imagery to create reports regarding Canada’s agricultural production, reports that were usually compiled from data farmers provided. Omar Youssouf, unit head with… Read More
Ag machinery sales are showing a decline compared to last year, looking at the first seven months of 2022, however, this isn’t necessarily indicative of a bad year, says the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The AEM flash report for the month of July shows a decrease of 7 per cent for tractor sales in Canada… Read More
Global need, market prices, and implications from the pandemic have all demonstrated the benefits of bolstering local agriculture infrastructure, something that Alberta NDP ag critic, Heather Sweet, says the province needs to play catch up on. When comparing the Prairie Provinces, Alberta is showing far less traction with breaking ground on new value-added processing than… Read More
With 2022 harvest knocking at the door, producers are starting to look ahead to the 2023 growing season, and it appears the Canadian government will continue to impose its 35 per cent sanctions on fertilizer from Russia and Belarus. Canada is the only country that has implemented and maintained sanctions against fertilizer from these countries,… Read More
With numerous global variables still affecting commodity market prices, putting on blinders and bringing the focus down to individual operations may be the wisest way to navigate the uncertainty. Grain markets are still under the influence of several major unknowns including the Russia-Ukraine war, how much grain China will actually export, and Taiwan strait tensions,… Read More
Root rot continues to be a concern for pulse growers and although work is being done on creating varieties that are more resistant to diseases such as aphanomyces, that reality is likely at least eight years away. In the interim, growers are encouraged to employ a comprehensive rotation schedule to best combat root rot in… Read More
Could volatile be the new normal when it comes to commodity markets? With volatility being the only constant over the past while, it is certainly something that farmers and marketers are getting used to as they continue to try and navigate their way through fluctuating prices and variables that seem to be ever increasing. With… Read More
Perhaps the only thing that made 2022 fertilizer prices palatable was the equally high commodity market prices. However, as farmers look ahead to the 2023 growing season, many are wondering if the high input prices are here to stay, even against declining commodity prices. Josh Linville is the fertilizer director with StoneX Financial, and says… Read More
Watching the commodity markets was exciting for many producers, until it wasn’t. The decline of prices that we’ve seen over the past week has been a blow to the optimism for this year’s crop; however, it may be more palatable if there was some overarching reason as to why the sell-off. But any clear reason… Read More
As the large pricing gap continues between cattle producers, feeders, packers and retailers, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) is now looking for answers from the Canadian federal government as to why and what can be done about it. Although the price gap concerns have been looming for quite awhile, it has widened since the… Read More
The recent collaboration between organizations, producers, and consumers to stop the intended front of package (FOP) labelling of ground meat proved just how effective organized lobbying can be. Reg Schellenberg, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), says it has been smiles across the board after the federal government announced that ground meat, including beef,… Read More
Details on Health Canada’s new front of package (FOP) labelling have been released, and the regulations include some welcome news for livestock producers. Under the original proposal, ground beef and pork would have been labelled as “high in saturated fat,” prompting producers and industry organizations to lobby against the inclusion. The beef and pork sectors said… Read More
Through the pandemic numerous food perspectives were subject to a shift, with more people cooking at home and grocery scarcity showing up for the first time for many. Just ahead of the pandemic, Beyond Meat, a plant-based protein company, went public to much fanfare. The Canadian Meat Council has, of course, been watching the plant-based… Read More