Reading Time: 4 minutes A stalled biofuel industry will need to produce far more efficient fuels to avoid setting off another bout of arguments over its contribution to boosting energy security and cutting carbon emissions. Biofuels had a difficult 2012. In the United States, Energy Information Administration data show production through November fell compared with the same period the […] Read more
Analysis: Are we near peak biofuels?
It is now clear, depending on where the boundary is set in life-cycle estimates of carbon emissions, that some biofuels offer limited or no benefits compared with conventional gasoline
Another view — farmers well represented by commodity groups
Reading Time: 2 minutes Greg Porozni farms at Willingdon. He wrote this letter to the editor of the Manitoba Co-operator in response to an editorial addressing Danny Penner’s opinion piece on the opposite page. Iam replying to your recent article regarding the farmer’s voice splintered. I am a grain farmer from Alberta growing wheat, canola and peas and have […] Read more
Time to beef up on hogs versus cattle?
Reading Time: 3 minutes The lean hog market is approaching a well-defined seasonal bottom that usually occurs during the opening half of April, and a number of traders are gearing up to go long that commodity over the coming weeks. They hope to be in position ahead of any upturn in values fuelled by a drop in fresh meat […] Read more
A call for a new producer-driven national farm organization
Reading Time: 3 minutes The following is a letter sent to producer checkoff-funded organizations across Western Canada March 4. Over the past few months, I have been consulting with other farmers and farm leaders who are passionate like me about farm policy, agriculture and food. The consensus is that the agriculture industry is in need of some leadership enhancements. […] Read more
Agriculture budget cutbacks — it could have been worse
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whenever agriculture or farmers are mentioned on the front page of an urban newspaper it must be of some consequence. So it was recently with the announcement of government cutbacks to the 2013 Alberta Agriculture budget. However, determining how much is actually going to be cut is the question. That’s not unique to the agriculture […] Read more
Minister upsets urban media
Reading Time: 2 minutes Politicians are not usually known for stating the obvious, but Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths did just that and was roundly condemned by a prominent daily newspaper for doing so. In responding to a question from a Liberal MLA about taxation, Minister Griffiths pointed out that it is rural Albertans who do all the work, […] Read more
Powerful interests behind Ritz’s views on wheat registration
Reading Time: 3 minutes Allan Dawson attended the Prairie Grain Development Committee’s annual meeting recently. Here’s his analysis on calls to change the registration system for western Canadian wheats. Calls to reform Western Canada’s wheat variety registration system boil down to the classic Canadian schism — the public and collective-managed approach versus letting the market decide. True to form, […] Read more
Lakeland College marks 100 years
Reading Time: 3 minutes Lakeland College is celebrating its first century in 2013, with a theme of “Celebrating the past and transforming the future” and events through the year leading up to the official 100th anniversary in November. Lakeland, located in Vermilion and Lloydminster, has played an important part in the development of the province and has true agricultural […] Read more
An agricultural connection to the Iran hostage crisis
flagged American Lee Schatz never leaves home without his Canadian pin after it helped him escape from Iran in 1979
Reading Time: 3 minutes Brian Oleson is head of the department of agricultural economics at the University of Manitoba. He recently watched the Academy award-winning film “ARGO,” based on the 1979 rescue of six U.S. diplomats by the Canadian Embassy in Iran under the direction of Ambassador Kenneth Taylor. Here he relates another Canadian connection. Watching “ARGO” reminded me […] Read moreWheat farming in Western Australia is in crisis
Reluctant Bankers want at least eight per cent for operating loans, and are asking for risk-mitigation insurance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Two weeks ago some 350 farmers, politicians and bankers attended a meeting at Kulin in the heart of Western Australia (WA) wheat country. It was organized by the local representatives of the West Australian Farmers Federation and called “Agriculture in Crisis — looking for a brighter future.” There were no surprises and no answers, just […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
