CNS Canada — Representatives from Canada’s five main parties met Wednesday in Ottawa to discuss and debate farm policy ranging from risk management to transportation and rural infrastructure ahead of the Oct. 19 federal election. The hot button issue of the debate, however, was Canada’s supply management systems for dairy, poultry and eggs. The topic […] Read more

Supply management the hot button at ag debate

Producer groups lobby for TPP deal in Atlanta
Several Canadian grain and livestock commodity groups have representatives in Atlanta this week pressing for federal negotiators to keep Canada in play on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trade ministers from the 12 TPP countries — also including the U.S., Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam — are meeting in […] Read more

Grain handler Scoular on hunt for more Canadian buys
Winnipeg | Reuters — U.S. crop handler The Scoular Co. is looking to acquire stakes in grain and oilseeds facilities in Western Canada, fresh off agreeing to its first major purchase in the crop-growing belt, the private company’s chief operating officer said Monday. Scoular last week agreed to pay $94 million for the special crops […] Read more

Chickpeas see strength in early harvest returns
CNS Canada — The chickpea harvest is slowly gathering steam across Western Canada with prices holding steady, despite the harvest pressure. In Saskatchewan, where the majority of the crop lies, one industry stakeholder estimated a fifth of the crop has been combined. “Chickpeas are 20 per cent complete or just nicely underway,” said Colin Young […] Read more

Severe ‘food shocks’ seen more likely due to extreme weather
London | Reuters — Extreme weather such as intense storms, droughts and heatwaves will cause more frequent and severe food shortages as the global climate and food supply systems change, British and U.S. experts warned Friday. The pressure on the world’s food supplies is so great, and the increase in extreme weather events so rapid, […] Read more

Ready to launch: Why pulses are the future of food
Peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas have been around for centuries, but they are poised to enter the spotlight like never before
Reading Time: 3 minutes Can an old food become new again? Peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas have been staples for centuries, but pulses are on the verge of becoming the next big thing. Next year, 2016, is the United Nations’ International Year of Pulses (IYoP) and there is a fistful of good reasons why these crops could become the […] Read more

Quality, not quantity key to chickpea sales
CNS Canada –– Chickpeas may be relatively small in terms of acreage in Western Canada, but the quality aspects of the country’s crop, especially the larger-calibre varieties, may help command some premiums in the global market. Canadian farmers intend to plant 140,000 acres of chickpeas in 2015, down from the 170,000 seeded the previous year […] Read more

Pick the right tool for the job when creating cover crop blends
Using a diverse blend of cover crops — including cool- and warm-season grasses and broadleaf crops — covers the bases while targeting soil issues
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to choosing the right cover crops for your farm, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. “Growers need to have an objective in mind in terms of what they want to get out of a cover crop,” said Bob Blackshaw, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “You have to choose the […] Read more