Chicago | Reuters — The American Farm Bureau Federation and machinery manufacturer Deere and Co. signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday that ensures farmers have the right to repair their own farm equipment or go to an independent technician. As the agriculture sector accelerates its adoption of technology, the reliance on high-tech machinery such […] Read more
American Farm Bureau, Deere sign ‘right to repair’ memo
MOU to seek private-sector solutions
China must raise self-reliance in ag tech, Xi says
Seed industry seen as weak link in food chain
Beijing | Reuters — President Xi Jinping wants China to accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology, identifying seed development and core equipment among areas to focus on, state media reported. The central leadership had said in 2020 that the country’s seed industry was a weak link in the food chain and needed to […] Read more
Ford hikes price of cheapest F-150 electric truck variant
Reuters — Ford Motor Co. has raised the price of the cheapest variant of its F-150 Lightning electric truck by nine per cent, to US$55,974, the company’s website showed on Thursday. The automaker has raised prices for its electric pickup trucks twice in a span of three months, as it navigates higher costs and supply […] Read more
NASA to conduct first global water survey from space
Data would bolster weather and climate forecasts
Los Angeles | Reuters — A NASA-led international satellite mission was set for blastoff from southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science project to conduct a comprehensive survey of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time. Dubbed SWOT, short for Surface Water and Ocean Topography, the advanced radar satellite […] Read more
New MacDonald’s farm will need robots and other tech
Reading Time: < 1 minute Calgary high school students will get a chance to learn about agriculture – but not the Old MacDonald stereotype. “We are looking for students who are interested in robotics, technology, business and problem solving,” said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College, which is partnering with the Calgary Board […] Read more
Huawei executive’s U.S. bank fraud charges to be dismissed
Charges remain against company itself
Reuters — U.S. prosecutors on Thursday asked a judge to dismiss bank fraud and other charges against Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies, whose 2018 arrest strained relations between the U.S. and China. Meng struck a deal with the prosecutors last year for the charges against her to be dismissed on […] Read more
U.S. EPA proposes revamp of biofuel program to include EVs
Mandated biofuel levels to rise through 2025
New York | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday unveiled a three-year proposal to expand the U.S. biofuels policy with bigger volume mandates and — for the first time — to include a pathway for electric vehicle manufacturers to generate lucrative credits. Biden wants to fight climate change by reducing fossil fuel […] Read more
Farm equipment demand to remain high, FCC says
Low inventories, high commodity prices and a good crop place pressure on demand
Demand for farm equipment should remain high through 2023 despite higher interest rates and projected price increases, according to Farm Credit Canada. The federal ag lender has released an outlook on the farm equipment market that analyzed data and trends that affect the market. While the outlook attributes much of the current demand to relatively […] Read more
The door is open and young women should walk through it
That’s the message of Feed Your Future, an initiative aimed at showcasing ag career opportunities
Reading Time: 3 minutes What Kassi Rinas does for a living is commonplace, but the agronomist also represents the changing face of a sector where men once had all the leading roles. “My favourite part of the job is being a part of the farmer’s operation from crop planning all winter to putting seed in the ground, spraying it […] Read more
Canada to boost defence, cyber security in Indo-Pacific policy
New policy document puts focus on 'disruptive' China
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada launched its long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy on Sunday, outlining $2.3 billion in spending to boost military and cyber security in the region and vowed to deal with a “disruptive” China while working with it on climate change and trade issues. The plan detailed in a 26-page document said Canada will tighten […] Read more