MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that […] Read more
Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible
Southern Manitoba considered out of drought
WFP ramps up food aid to Ukraine amid reports of severe shortages
London | Reuters — The World Food Programme said on Friday it is ramping up food aid to war-torn Ukraine, citing reports of severe shortages of food and water in Kyiv, the capital, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The U.N. agency said it is in the process of finding partners in Ukraine to help […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus suspends operations in Russia
Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Co., (LDC), one of the world’s largest agricultural commodity merchants, has suspended its operations in Russia, it said on Friday. LDC did not provide further details in an emailed response to a question about the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on its activities. Like other crop traders, it […] Read more
Calgary protein ingredient maker already set to expand
Lovingly Made Ingredients expansion means more sales for Alberta farmers growing peas and other crops
Reading Time: 4 minutes The plant-protein boom is starting to pay dividends for Alberta growers. Less than a year after opening its doors, the province’s biggest plant-protein processor is already eyeing an expansion of its Calgary facility. “We have a piece of technology in Europe that we’re looking to bring to Alberta this year, and that would give us […] Read more
Tim Hortons, Burger King parent to hike prices
BK pulling Whopper off discount menu
Reuters — Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International said on Tuesday that it stripped its most famous sandwich, the Whopper, from discount menus and will raise menu prices again this year as to offset higher costs. U.S.-listed shares of the company rose more than three per cent after it topped results estimates for the fourth […] Read more
Producer finds his way into farming through backyards in the big city
Reading Time: 4 minutes Reclaim Organics is a farm with an unusual trajectory — it’s moved several times and has existed in both the city and the country. Owner Ryan Mason grew up on a broiler breeder and grain farm near Pigeon Lake, but farming wasn’t his career goal when he headed to university. “I had no intention of […] Read more
More government action likely as border blockades hit trade
Manitoba's main crossing now also blocked
Reuters — The shutdown of a vital U.S.-Canada trade route is knocking out automakers’ operations as the business impact from the two-week-old protests against Canada’s pandemic measures ramp up pressure on authorities to quell the demonstrations. The protests started as a “Freedom Convoy” occupying downtown Ottawa, opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border truckers mirrored by […] Read more
ADM releases alternative protein outlook for 2022
MarketsFarm — Major U.S. agribusiness ADM released a report Tuesday identifying the seven biggest trends in the alternative protein market, ranging from creating new protein sources from fungi to making plant-based meat substitutes more affordable and palatable to the general public. The seven trends in the report were: introduction of novel protein sources, using microbial […] Read more
Drought conditions ease slightly across Prairies
MarketsFarm — Mixed precipitation throughout January helped drought conditions improve across much of the Canadian Prairies during the month, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Tuesday. Conditions have deteriorated in some areas, however, and the majority of Western Canada was still in some kind of drought state. […] Read more
Pandemic protestors block Windsor border crossing
Commercial traffic being diverted to Sarnia
Ottawa | Reuters — The busiest land crossing between the U.S. and Canada was jammed on Tuesday after Canadian protestors blocked lanes on Monday over their government’s pandemic control measures. While traffic in both directions was initially blocked, U.S.-bound lanes have since reopened, Windsor Police tweeted. Drivers demanding an end to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
