Reading Time: < 1 minute Members of Cereals Canada and the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) have approved the amalgamation of both organizations. “This merger brings together two strong organizations with a common vision to serve our members and build value for the Canadian cereals industry,” said Cereals Canada board chair Jean-Marc Ruest. “Cereals Canada and Cigi have already established […] Read more
Merger of Cereals Canada and Cigi approved
Summer jobs program to pay entire wage
Reading Time: < 1 minute The federal government has made changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program for businesses with fewer than 50 employees delivering essential services. Businesses will have 100 per cent of their employees’ salaries covered by the federal government (up from the previous 50 per cent), and employees can be covered until February 2021. As well, the […] Read more
The price of farmland likely to be unaffected by pandemic
The formerly red-hot market has cooled considerably, but the price of land isn’t getting cheaper
Reading Time: 2 minutes The pandemic seems to be impacting almost everything, but not the price of farmland. “I would expect that impacts are going to be minimal,” said J.P. Gervais, vice-president and chief agricultural economist for FCC. “We still have a very limited supply of available land for sale. That was the case in 2019. It was the […] Read more
Alberta farmland values likely to be unaffected by COVID-19
FCC farmland report doesn’t account for the pandemic, but impact on land values should be ‘minimal’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s farmland values have been rising at a slower pace for nearly a decade, and the pandemic isn’t likely to change that. “I would expect that impacts are going to be minimal,” said J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada (FCC). “We still have a very limited supply of available land for sale. […] Read more
FCC AgriSpirit Fund deadline looming
Application deadline is March 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute There are only a few days left to apply for FCC AgriSpirit Fund grants. The program will see Farm Credit Canada award $1.5 million in funding this year to registered charities and non-profit organizations in rural Canada. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 but the application deadline is March 31. The fund supports projects that […] Read more
2018 cash advance deadline extended on pandemic concerns
Western Canadian farmers had more than $100 million coming due this month
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grain and livestock producers with a cash advance from 2018 will have until September to pay back their loan. “Hopefully, this will give them enough time to get it paid down so that we’re not forcing them into a default situation,” said Rick White, president and CEO of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, one of […] Read more
When times get tough, toughing it out may not be the answer
Some farmers are way more profitable than others — so do what they do, says farm finance expert
Reading Time: 4 minutes These are difficult days for farmers — but also a time to look at what you can do differently. “If you’re not a top performer, you’re likely not consistently profitable, you’re going to be susceptible to those market fluctuations, and you’re probably unable to consistently invest in your business,” said Connie Adam, associate partner at […] Read more
New ag policy centre opens at University of Calgary
Reading Time: < 1 minute The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is opening a new centre focused on the growth and sustainability of agri-food and agribusiness. The Simpson Centre for Agricultural and Food Innovation and Public Education will research public policies in four areas with a focus on Western Canada: trade policy, environment and climate change, agriculture as […] Read more
Pricey farm machinery and soft commodity prices don’t add up
Sales plunge as farm equipment prices and grain prices head in opposite directions
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm equipment sales in Canada dropped off significantly last year as farmers faced bad weather and even worse commodity prices. “In short, (equipment sales) are not good. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” said Curt Blades, senior vice-president of agricultural services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “Net farm income in Canada is down pretty […] Read more
Tax credits available for cereal checkoffs
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cereal farmers who pay Alberta Wheat’s and Alberta Barley’s checkoff are eligible for Scientific Research & Experimental Development Fund (SR&ED) tax credits. For wheat, the tax credit is 31 per cent while for barley, it’s 13 per cent. The federal program encourages R&D investment by giving claimants tax credits for their expenditures on eligible R&D […] Read more
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