Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s latest budget envelope for Canadian farmers up against rising costs of production includes a temporary boost to the interest-free portion of cash advances. Freeland’s 2023 federal budget, released Tuesday, includes $13 million in 2023-24 for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to temporarily increase the interest-free limit for loans under its Advance […] Read more
Interest-free cash advances get extra lift in federal budget
Fertilizer diversification, solids non-fat processing also up for funding
Food sales grew but margins tightened in 2022, FCC says
Modest further growth expected this year
Food and beverages sales increased in Canada last year, even as margins hit an historic low and consumers chose Canadian less. According to the latest FCC Food and Beverage Report, released Tuesday, sales increased 11 per cent to $156 billion in 2022. These gains came largely from higher export values and strength in the grain […] Read more
Manitoba’s Red River Valley at major risk for flooding
Province's March flood outlook report cites U.S. storms as reason
Manitoba has significantly raised the risk of spring flooding in its Red River Valley, follow “recent precipitation events south of the border.” Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre on Wednesday projected a major risk of flooding on the Red River and low to moderate risk of flooding in most Manitoba basins in its March […] Read more
No big changes in current weather patterns
Potential for some precipitation in early April
MarketsFarm — With spring officially underway, don’t expect a lot of major changes in the current weather patterns across the Canadian Prairies and the U.S. northern Plains, according to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. at Overland Park, Kansas. “For the rest of March, it’s status quo, it will stay cold. We’re not going to […] Read more
AWC 2023: Federal ag minister inspired by farm women’s progress
Don't wait to be asked to participate, Bibeau tells AWC West
Calgary — Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau drew applause from delegates attending the Advancing Women in Agriculture (AWC) conference here this week as she acknowledged their efforts for paving her path into politics. Bibeau told delegates attending the 10th annual conference she’s never felt like she’s had to fight for spot at the political table […] Read more
Farmland values exceed expectations
Ontario leads the country with 19.4 per cent increase
Average farmland prices were up 12.8 per cent in Canada in 2022, the largest increase seen since 2014 when the increase was 14.3 per cent. The increase follows gains of 8.3 per cent in 2021 and 5.4 per cent in 2020. J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief economist, said the numbers were a little bit of a […] Read more
Spring road bans loom across Prairies
Mid-March weight limits pending for heavy trucks
MarketsFarm — The looming spring melt across Western Canada will likely disrupt some grain and livestock movement over the next few weeks, as seasonal spring road restrictions come into effect across the Prairies. Spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads to reduce the damage heavier loads can cause during […] Read more
Building bridges to Indigenous communities
Western Canadian society has a wall running straight down its middle, dividing the world into Indigenous and non-Indigenous spheres. Breaking that wall down is in everyone’s interest, according to Kendal Netmaker. The Saskatoon-based Indigenous entrepreneur, author and consultant told the Canadian Crops Convention his priority is removing that wall. “We need to knock it down […] Read more
Canola industry ready to move forward
The Canola Council of Canada celebrated a return to normalcy at its annual meeting at the Canadian Crops Convention in Ottawa. “Our theme this year is ‘from adversity to opportunity’ and I think that’s very fitting,” said Jim Everson, the group’s president. Production has rebounded following the drought of 2021, meaning there’s opportunity to develop […] Read more
As globalization fades new strategies needed
Don’t expect a return to normal geopolitical conditions — at least not if you think the past several decades were normal. That was Janice Gross Stein’s message March 8, in an opening address to the Canadian Crops Convention. The noted political scientist and founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
