Prince Edward Island’s minister of agriculture and fisheries has quit the post after announcing his decision not to seek re-election. Alan McIsaac, the MLA for Vernon River-Stratford since 2007 and the province’s ag minister since 2015, announced Wednesday he won’t run in the next provincial election, scheduled for October next year. “Given this, I feel […] Read more
P.E.I. names new agriculture minister
Crop Insurance: Hail claims dipped sharply but unharvested acres soared
The number of unseeded acres rose eightfold but the provincial crop insurer paid out less than half the usual amount of hail claims
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dry conditions had one benefit this year — they helped contribute to a big drop in hail damage. “It was very dry in the south, with less activity in relation to hail. The central-south areas were more active this year,” said Daniel Graham, manager of business risk products with the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). […] Read more
What’s the view from your farm in 2027?
Long-term planning is easy to put off, but there can be a steep price to pay, says financial specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes No matter what age, it’s never too early or late to put together a long-term plan for your farm, says a provincial financial specialist. “Farmers are always busy with their daily and seasonal tasks,” says Rick Dehod. “When asked what their plan is for the next 10 years, they often say they haven’t had a […] Read more
Outside panel named for farm risk management review
A panel of 11 “external” experts from across the country has been picked to offer guidance and feedback on a federal/provincial review of farm business risk management (BRM) programming. The panel’s appointment follows an agreement by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers back in July to launch a review of BRM programs, assessing those programs’ […] Read more
Canadian fast-food, dining firms plan merger
A restaurant firm with well known brands in Eastern Canada’s casual dining market is set to merge into a neighbouring firm behind the franchises populating many of Canada’s mall food courts. Montreal-based MTY Food Group announced Tuesday it has a cash-and-stock agreement in place to pick up all outstanding common shares of another Montreal firm, […] Read more
New Brunswick deputy ag minister retiring
New Brunswick’s assistant deputy minister for agriculture will act as the lead bureaucrat for agriculture in the province after the current deputy retires. Premier Brian Gallant on Wednesday named Cathy LaRochelle, assistant deputy minister for both the provincial department of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries and the department of energy and resource development, as acting deputy […] Read more
Canada, Mexico to rebuff U.S. over NAFTA goals
Mexico City | Reuters — Canada and Mexico will rebuff the United States over its demand for tougher NAFTA automotive content rules, top officials said on Monday as negotiations to renew the treaty bogged down with only a few months to go. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to quit NAFTA, which has reshaped the […] Read more
Trade talks a dicey situation, Coyne says
Winnipeg | CNS Canada — With Canada in the midst of negotiations for two different trade agreements, the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership, trade concerns are getting muddled, according to Andrew Coyne. “We need to be conscious of diversifying our trade interests beyond just North America. It would be extremely foolish that […] Read more
U.S. study links bumblebee declines to fungicide use
A new look at the environmental factors around declining bumblebee populations and ranges points to a less-than-usual suspect: fungicides. “Insecticides work; they kill insects. Fungicides have been largely overlooked because they are not targeted for insects, but fungicides may not be quite as benign — toward bumblebees — as we once thought,” Scott McArt, assistant […] Read more
Big four topics remain constant in latest Real Dirt on Farming
The latest edition of the Real Dirt on Farming is out, and it continues to be a printed copy success story in a digital world. There are more than three million copies of the agriculture information resource in print and the demand doesn’t appear to be dropping. Farm & Food Care Ontario creates the publication […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
