Canada’s largest publisher of farm magazines and newspapers has cultivated a new source of news for farmers in Ontario. Launched Wednesday at the London Farm Show, Farmtario will be a biweekly print publication starting April 30. Its website, Farmtario.com, is available immediately. “We see a bright future for Ontario agriculture and we’re proud to announce […] Read more
Glacier FarmMedia launches Farmtario
U.S. pushes NAFTA talks pace, warns of political headwinds
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexican and U.S. officials pushed on Monday to speed up NAFTA negotiations, with the U.S. floating the idea of reaching an agreement “in principle” in coming weeks to avoid political headwinds later this year. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, showing impatience at the slow pace of the talks, said Mexico’s […] Read more
Steel shock drives wedge into sluggish NAFTA talks
Mexico City | Reuters — Negotiators trying to rework the NAFTA trade deal on Thursday were hit by the prospect of a battle over U.S. steel tariffs that could make it more complicated to build autos in North America, one of the most sensitive issues at the talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would […] Read more
New rules on passive investment arrive in budget
It’s got no new nuggets specifically for crop or livestock producers, but Tuesday’s federal budget includes the end results of last year’s consultations — and backlash — on corporate taxation. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2018 budget proposes a couple of new limits on Canadian-controlled private corporations’ (CCPC) ability to benefit from a lower tax rate […] Read more
Spring outlook cooler for Prairies, warmer for Ontario
Growers in parts of Ontario may get an early start on planting this spring, while Prairie fields may see lingering snow and later-than-average last frosts. WeatherFarm’s spring forecast, powered by U.S.-based DTN Progressive Farmer, projects a cold start to the spring as likely for the western half of Canada, reversing the milder conditions shown over […] Read more
Saskatchewan pulls sales tax off farm insurance
Saskatchewan’s provincial government has reinstated a provincial sales tax (PST) exemption for agriculture, health and life insurance premiums. Premier Scott Moe on Monday announced the exemption will take effect retroactive to Aug. 1 last year, when the PST was first applied to insurance. The province said the exemption will include PST on premiums paid for […] Read more
Amid fresh Trump tension, negotiators seek NAFTA progress
Mexico City | Reuters — U.S., Mexican and Canadian negotiators met on Monday seeking to narrow disagreements on how to overhaul the NAFTA trade deal despite renewed signs of tension between Mexico and U.S. President Donald Trump over his planned border wall. The trade teams began a seventh round of talks on Sunday aiming to […] Read more
Norway to upgrade ‘doomsday’ seed vault
Oslo | Reuters — Norway plans to spend 100 million Norwegian crowns (C$16.1 million) to upgrade a doomsday seed vault on an Arctic island built 10 years ago to protect the world’s food supplies, the government said on Friday. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is meant as a natural deep freeze to back up the […] Read more
Southern Ontario median farmland price jumps in 2017
The threat of interest rate increases hasn’t dampened the prices southern Ontario farmers are paying for land. The annual Valco study of land values showed an increase in value of 9.76 per cent for farmland sold in 2017 over 2016. This increase is the largest since 2013. The median price for land in the surveyed […] Read more
Final version of Trans-Pacific trade deal released
Wellington/Sydney | Reuters — The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signalling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the U.S. More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
