Winnipeg | Reuters — With drought turning Chad Ross’s pastures brown, the southeastern Saskatchewan rancher sent 140 head of cattle to slaughter earlier than usual this spring, as the Prairies’ three-year drought made them too expensive to feed. The ranch and feedlot near Estevan has lost money two straight years. Long-awaited rains that swept the […] Read more
Rain gives farmers relief, for now, from three-year drought
Ag minister announces launch of Canadian food policy
Canada has its first food policy, an initiative to increase access to safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food, and to cut food waste. Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food and parliamentary secretary, Jean-Claude Poissant made the announcement Monday in Montreal. “The Food Policy for Canada is our road map for a healthier and more […] Read more
Senior P.E.I. ag official to fill deputy minister post
The post of top bureaucrat in Prince Edward Island’s agriculture department now has its third occupant in as many months. Premier Dennis King on June 7 named Brian Matheson, previously director of policy and agriculture resources at the agriculture and land department, as its acting deputy minister, replacing Laurie Loane. Loane, who’d been named deputy […] Read more
New marine fuel rules to boost diesel prices for at least a year, analysts say
Houston | Reuters — Global prices for diesel and marine fuels should rise by October ahead of a January switchover to new, very low-sulphur marine fuels, and remain higher for at least a year as refiners shift production to make more of the new fuels, analysts said. Marine fuels containing no more than 0.5 per […] Read more
Don’t be shocked when electric fences underperform
Undersized wire, rusty rebar, and ‘rubber’ hoses are common mistakes on many ranches
Reading Time: 5 minutes Want to hear a Captain Obvious statement? Electric fences need to be able to shock animals enough to keep livestock in and predators out. The reality is many electric fences are not up to this basic task. Just ask Jason Williams, who tours the country teaching producers ways to make their electric fences more effective. […] Read more
Trump calls off tariffs after Mexico vows to tighten borders
Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — The United States and Mexico struck a deal on Friday to avert a tariff war, with Mexico agreeing to rapidly expand a controversial asylum program and deploy security forces to stem the flow of illegal Central American migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose five per cent import […] Read more
Increased Chinese inspections on Canadian meat for pork only
Ottawa | Reuters — Chinese plans to boost inspections of Canadian meat imports only affect pork rather than all meat products as the federal agriculture ministry initially stated, a Canadian government official said on Wednesday. A ministry notice seen by Reuters on Tuesday said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been told Chinese customs agents […] Read more
China to ramp up inspections on all Canadian meat imports
Customs agents in China now plan to open all containers of inbound Canadian meat and meat products and will inspect up to 100 per cent of their contents, Reuters reported Tuesday. The news agency quoted a notice from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been informed of the boost […] Read more
It’s tough to stand out in the world of commodities
Producing the best beef or grain doesn’t mean your product will be recognized for its quality
Reading Time: 3 minutes Having a point of differentiation is really important when it comes to commodities. Let us start with the term ‘beef.’ You may have been in conversations where someone said, they don’t eat beef — they eat old dairy cows. Which is interesting because technically, those old dairy cows and the Alberta bred fancy show steer […] Read more
Cash advance boost to take effect next week
Regulations permanently expanding loan limits under the federal Advance Payments Program — and temporarily boosting interest-free advances for canola growers — are in place for applications to begin next Monday at the earliest. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Monday amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Regulations are now in place to boost the APP loan […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
