STAGE SET Production problems haven’t left markets short yet but that could change if Australian growers continue to suffer from a lack of rainfall
Reading Time: 3 minutes Stubbornly high prices have served to keep U.S. wheat out of contention on the export market in recent months, but a broad jump in winter wheat acreage coupled with growing overseas demand could change that picture. It’s no surprise that farmers in top hard red wheat states such as Kansas are upping their acres this […] Read moreHigher U.S. wheat plantings likely — and needed
A few suppliers of key inputs have the real power
From the hip Improving infrastructure and reducing food waste can help relieve hunger
Reading Time: 3 minutes Like all weather-related discussions lately, talk soon turns to the drought in the U.S. and Ontario. It is hard to see it from our regional view as we sit on our deck, admiring the green from “a little too much rain.” Most of the social and economic consequences of drought have been repeatedly played in […] Read moreLetters — for 2012-09-10 00:00:00
Reading Time: < 1 minute I am a reader of your paper and a farmer/rancher in Alberta. I enjoy reading Alberta Farmer and am generally happy and pleased with the quality of the paper and articles. I recently read the May 7 paper and felt that I should send you a comment. (yes, we have been busy farming and are […] Read more
Ethanol — an agricultural policy that worked perfectly
Hardly new The idea of having some buffer stocks on hand goes back to Joseph and the Pharaoh
Reading Time: 3 minutes Back in the days of $2 corn, someone got the bright idea of turning it into ethanol. Not only would this boost prices by eliminating burdensome carryovers, it would partly diversify the U.S. away from imported energy and create rural jobs at ethanol refineries. Throwing a few subsidies and tax breaks in that direction and […] Read moreAn appointment not quite like the others
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s nothing new or shocking for governments of every stripe to make political appointments to existing jobs or even invented ones. That’s just part of the process, but a recent political appointment by the ruling PC government has raised eyebrows in agriculture industry circles. It was announced that former agriculture minister Evan Berger, who was […] Read more
Why fight the battle against safety regs for farm workers?
Reading Time: 3 minutes A recent urban media and opposition party political exercise might all have been a coincidence, since it was close to the self-declared “Farm Worker Day.” But it seemed like a co-ordinated effort to embarrass the premier to get her to take action on one of her promises. It all had to do with an old […] Read more
Women produce most of the food, but get least of the credit
straight from the hip Women asked to fill in online survey about their needs in agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Women empowering women to grow food, protect environments, strengthen trade and secure financial independence for themselves, their families and their communities.” That’s the theme of a project for which I received a 2012 Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship for Canada. This fall I start with rural leadership meetings in Australia as well as with Meat and Livestock […] Read moreHorse-slaughter protesters seek to deceive
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calgary recently saw a ragtag group protesting the slaughter of horses. They gathered under a billboard which featured the slogan, “Stop Slaughtering Us” with a picture of two pensive-looking horses. To many passing by it was probably bewildering, but it is effective. Slaughter is one of those hot-button buzzwords that gets immediate attention. The protesters […] Read more
Saving billions is tempting for penny-pinching feds
AGRISTABILITY A return to normal prices could mean big payouts under the current formula
Reading Time: 3 minutes It has gone in cycles over the past 50 years, but it appears the battle lines are again being drawn between the federal government and the agriculture industry over farm support programs. The latest began when federal officials claimed the AgriStability program is too rich. Essentially this support program kicks in when a producer’s income […] Read moreFinding a safe investment haven close to home
Think local Investing in your own community is gaining popularity in the U.S. and being successfully tried north of the border
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadians may not have to face some of the dangers others in the world are dealing with directly, but there’s still good reason to be nervous. After all, Bernie Madoff drained the accounts of his Canadian holders — including some of our most prominent institutions. If the shenanigans at Jon Corzine’s MF Global or at […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
