Move western grain, ASAP. That’s the blunt and urgent message Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Dan Mazier told an emergency meeting of the House of Commons’ agriculture committee Monday in Ottawa. The 2013-14 grain shipping backlog cost Western farmers around $6.5 billion and the current one will cost billions again, Mazier said. The first step […] Read more
Get grain moving again, KAP says
Walmart patents hint at future where its drones tend the farms
New York/Chicago | Reuters — Walmart’s patent filings hint that it may see a future where farmers use its drones to not only spot crop problems but selectively apply chemicals or even disperse pollen to bring shoppers the freshest and cheapest food possible. The world’s largest retailer applied for six patents last year on drones […] Read more
Enjoy stable diesel market while you can, analyst says
CNS Canada — The short-term outlook for the diesel market in North America calls for current prices to remain largely untouched through spring planting — but it could change drastically after that. According to Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service in New Jersey, prices for diesel could even get higher than crude oil. […] Read more
Organic record-keeping made easier
It’s important for organic producers to understand the standards — and how certifiers interpret those rules
Reading Time: 3 minutes Organic production comes with its own headaches — but that’s nothing compared to organic record-keeping. “It’s a crush of paperwork,” said Ward Middleton, an organic grain producer from Morinville. “It seems thoroughly intimidating, and we need to make it as easy as possible. Otherwise, we’ll never entice larger farms to go organic.” Organic certifying bodies […] Read more
The stereotypical organic consumer doesn’t exist anymore
Alberta has the highest proportion of organic consumers of any province in the country
Reading Time: 3 minutes If newspaper headlines are to be believed, millennials have already killed the paper napkin industry, department stores, and beer (somehow). Could conventional agriculture be next? Nah. All the generations are working on that one, says an organic industry official. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a millennial, Gen X, or baby boomer — across the board, […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: India not a guaranteed market
CNS Canada — Despite positive developments between Canada and India in regards to pulse crops, the CEO of Pulse Canada is warning producers not to rely on India as market for pulses. “India is not the market that it was eight months ago and it emphasizes the need to find alternate markets,” Gordon Bacon said. […] Read more
Ottawa’s big cheque will pay even bigger dividends, says pulse group
But critics decry federal grants to next-gen industries
Reading Time: 4 minutes Critics are calling it “corporate welfare,” but the supporters of a protein supercluster say $150 million-plus in federal funding will turn pulses into the next canola. There’s never complete buy-in for this sort of government action, but projects like this typically aren’t possible without government funding, said Ron Styles, acting president of Protein Industries Canada. […] Read more
Checkoff tax credits available for farmers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Barley advises farmers that 17 per cent of their 2017 checkoff payment is eligible for the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit. Farmers must include Form T661 with their tax return along with either Form T2SCH31 (incorporated businesses) or Form T2038 (individuals). Farmers can learn more about the SR&ED program by visiting […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Alberta pea area tries to hang on
CNS Canada — Despite a drop in spot prices due to tariffs imposed by India on peas, one industry expert says she isn’t convinced that means acreage will drastically be reduced in Alberta this spring. “I think we’ll see a little bit of a drop, but I don’t think it will be as impactful as […] Read more
Late-season snowstorm brings Prairies moisture
CNS Canada — After a winter spent waiting for snow, farmers across the southern Prairies were happy when the forecast was right and Western Canada received a late winter snowstorm. “We’ve heard moisture’s coming before and it doesn’t show up or it goes around us. So when it started snowing and it started adding up […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
