Officials in British Columbia are now gauging what sorts of damages and expenses can be covered through an AgriRecovery plan for ranchers and farmers affected by wildfires. The federal and B.C. governments announced Wednesday they’re “working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover […] Read more
Options weighed for AgriRecovery in B.C. fire zones
Canada suggests it could quit NAFTA talks over dispute mechanism
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada laid down a tough line ahead of talks on modernizing NAFTA on Monday, suggesting it could walk away if the U.S. pushed to remove a key dispute-settlement mechanism in the trade deal. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, giving the most substantive outline yet of Canada’s goals, said she was “very optimistic” […] Read more
Ahead of NAFTA talks, Canada says dispute mechanism essential
Ottawa | Reuters — An effective dispute settlement mechanism is essential in any trade agreement, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said on Friday, less than a week before the first round of negotiations on the North American trade pact. Canada’s desire to include a dispute settlement mechanism in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) […] Read more
Getting (a digital) read on how animals are feeling
Sophisticated camera technology can pick up subtle signs of cows in heat, and may one day be able to ‘read’ emotions
Reading Time: 2 minutes What do “The Lord of the Rings” movies and a study on animal expressions have in common? Both used motion capture technology — albeit for very different reasons. “Generally, we found that we could detect when the cows were in heat by using motion capture,” said Mirjam Guesgen, who recently completed her post-doc studies at […] Read more
‘I love to contribute’ is the motto of Cochrane rancher
Reading Time: 4 minutes When a young David Sibbald volunteered for the International Youth Livestock Committee of the Calgary Stampede back in 1990, he had no grand illusions about someday heading up an organization that today boasts 2,300 community volunteers and more than 1,200 employees. He was just committed to youth and agriculture. Those commitments haven’t changed, but now […] Read more
Last chance to enter brand contest
Entries must be received by Aug. 2
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Bow Valley Ranche, along with the Southern Alberta Pioneers and Their Descendants, present Canada’s 15th Cattle and Horse Brand Contest. Enter now for a chance to win prizes, including a song about your brand to be performed this fall by Rob Lennard, Alberta’s ‘history wrangler.’ “I have always been interested and intrigued as to the story […] Read more
Ministers agree on new ag funding framework
Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers for agriculture have agreed on the bones of a new five-year policy funding framework, committing them to a review of its business risk management (BRM) programming. The ministers came out of three days of meetings Friday in St. John’s with the “key elements” of a five-year, $3 billion framework, […] Read more
Passion for agriculture earns Kim McConnell the Order of Canada
‘Farm boy’ says earning the country’s highest civilian honour is ‘a win for agriculture’
Reading Time: 3 minutes If Kim McConnell had his way, he’d take all of the agricultural industry with him when he receives his Order of Canada at Rideau Hall. It’s an honour for him, but also an honour for all of agriculture. “About a month ago, I got a call and they told me this was going to happen […] Read more
U.S. makes lower trade deficit priority in NAFTA talks
Washington | Reuters — The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said […] Read more
Hogs seen as key factor in input cost hikes
CNS Canada — Canada’s Farm Input Price Index has climbed slightly for the first quarter of this year. Canada-wide, the index rose 1.3 per cent for the first quarter of this year compared to the final quarter of 2016. When comparing this year’s first quarter to last year’s first quarter, however, input prices in the […] Read more