Cali, Colombia | Reuters –– Four new countries will be admitted to the Pacific Alliance as associate members, the trade group said on Thursday, as it seeks to expand commerce with the Asia-Pacific region while the U.S. pushes for protectionist measures. The alliance, which comprises Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru, will on Friday admit Singapore, […] Read more
Pacific trade bloc adds ‘associate’ members, including Canada
Field studies fuel dispute over whether neonics harm bees
London | Reuters — Two major studies into how bees are affected by a group of pesticides banned in Europe gave mixed results on Thursday, fuelling a row over whether the neonicotinoid pesticides are safe. The studies, one conducted across three European countries and another in Canada, found some negative effects after exposure to neonicotinoids […] Read more
Alberta producers asking big questions about solar power
There’s huge interest in this technology and issues such as payback, fixed costs, and government programs are top of mind
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s no doubt that the government of Alberta is betting big on renewable energy. The goal is to get 30 per cent of Alberta’s electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030, and it earmarked $5.5 million last year to help farms and municipalities develop solar power projects. With that kind of big money comes big […] Read more
Diving a little deeper into summer weather and tornadoes
Tornadoes are nearly impossible to study but we do know a lot about the mechanics of how they form
Reading Time: 3 minutes In this instalment, we’ll continue our look at severe thunderstorms, and specifically, the most deadly part — tornadoes. While eastern parts of the Prairies have only seen a few isolated severe thunderstorms, parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta have already seen their fair share. I think most Canadians were more than impressed, and maybe a little bit […] Read more
South African ranchers are ‘game’ for raising wildlife
The country’s 12,000 wildlife ranches cover 20 million hectares and the sector is growing by leaps and bounds
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may think it is strange to go to an auction to pick up a wildebeest or a zebra, but ranching wildlife is just an innovative way of making money for South African farmers. It’s similar to Canadian bison, deer, or elk ranching and can add a lot of value for producers. “In South Africa, […] Read more
Nuances in labour bill could be costly, says farm group coalition
Bill 17 has made the unionization process ‘substantially easier,’ upping the likelihood that farm workers will unionize, says an AgCoalition report
Reading Time: 3 minutes The devil is in the details when it comes to a new labour bill that will allow farm workers to unionize, among other things. “There are a lot of little things on the ag side that are really going to affect how farmers are going to have to manage their employees,” said Kent Erickson, co-chair […] Read more
No charges against Quebec’s ex-ag minister
Quebec’s director of prosecutions has decided not to pursue criminal charges against the province’s fired agriculture minister over allegations of “acts of a sexual character.” The province’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions (DPCP) announced in a release Monday that the office was “not reasonably convinced” culpability could be proven against the provincial member for […] Read more
Report sees Canadian meat prices rising at faster pace
CNS Canada — Canadians will be paying more for meat than earlier thought in 2017, according to a new report from Dalhousie University. Expected price declines for other foods, however, will limit the impact on the total grocery bill in the country. In the mid-year update for Canada’s Food Price Report, researchers at Dalhousie in […] Read more
Amazon moves into real-world stores with Whole Foods deal
Reuters — Amazon.com said Friday it would buy grocer Whole Foods Market for US$13.7 billion in a move that gives the online retailer a physical network of stores to distribute fresh food and other goods to millennials and wealthy consumers. Amazon, which is known for squeezing suppliers and has been experimenting with its own outlets, […] Read more
New Alberta portal offers detailed species and mapping info
Website profiles show where species are likely to be found and how they respond to human activity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Detailed information on hundreds of Alberta plant and animal species is now available online. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute — a global leader in biodiversity monitoring — has created the Data & Analytics Portal to provide easy access to the institute’s extensive biodiversity-related data, reports, and maps. A key part of the portal is the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
