Reading Time: 2 minutes Having started 2018 with zero grain elevators in the Alberta market, G3 expects to soon have five in progress. The Winnipeg-based grain handler plans to start construction by this summer on a pair of 42,000-tonne-capacity elevators near Stettler and Irricana, for completion the following year. The Stettler County elevator is to be built near the […] Read more
Grain handler G3 to further expand Alberta footprint
The Winnipeg-headquartered company expects to have five Alberta elevators up by end of 2020
Scholarships for students pursuing an ag education
Application deadline is April 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now open for scholarships offered by the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation. There are seven Pathways to Agri-Food Scholarships awarded across the country, including one in Alberta. They are given to students entering or currently pursuing an agricultural or agri-food-related program at a Canadian college, university, or technical institution. The scholarships are worth $2,500 […] Read more
Deadline fast approaching for FCC AgriSpirit Fund
Applications being accepted until March 29
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications from registered charities and non-profit organizations in rural Canada for the Farm Credit Canada’s AgriSpirit Fund are being accepted until March 29. The fund provides grants of $5,000 to $25,000 for community improvement initiatives, such as capital expenditures on equipment purchase and installation; energy-efficient building improvements; and repairs and purchasing of rescue and fire […] Read more
Canola checkoff tax credit available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canola growers who didn’t ask for a checkoff refund last year can get a tax credit for the portion used for qualifying research. The tax credit rate for Alberta canola producers in 2018 is 17.43 per cent. That means a grower who paid $100 in canola checkoffs would receive a $17.43 tax credit. The Scientific […] Read more
Buckle up: Here’s your economic forecast for 2019
Canada’s top ag economist has the lowdown on the economy, trade, interest rates, and your income
Reading Time: 4 minutes What’s the forecast for Canadian ag? How about murky with a good chance of turbulence? ‘Headwinds’ was the phrase du jour when the country’s foremost ag economist came by FarmTech late last month. “There are lots of good things going on in the industry, but lots of headwinds as well — trade tensions, weather, excess […] Read more
Court ruling alone won’t fix ‘orphan’ well crisis
There are now more than 3,000 abandoned wells in Alberta, and many more that are no longer active
Reading Time: 3 minutes A Supreme Court ruling that puts cleanup ahead of creditors is a step forward — but won’t “make too much difference” to landowners with abandoned wells, says a director with the Alberta Surface Rights Federation. “The landowners are still going to be in a situation where they have to deal with contaminated land for maybe […] Read more
Want to get paid for storing grain?
Taking advantage of a strong carrying charge market can make you some money, says market analyst
Reading Time: 2 minutes Confused about the price spread for crops between delivery months? Sometimes the spread between future month prices for crops with a futures market is particularly noticeable. The amount of carrying charge is a measure of what the market is paying to store the crop from one period to the next, said provincial crop market analyst […] Read more
Farm income falls in 2018, but holding for now
Canadian farm income fell on market volatility, but export growth is still likely, says FCC
Reading Time: 2 minutes Final figures aren’t available yet but all signs suggest farm income in 2018 was clipped by several factors and will likely stay at that level through this year, said Farm Credit Canada’s chief economist. “Price volatility, higher input costs and weather-related challenges in many parts of the country over the past year took a toll […] Read more
Help wanted with Smart Parkland bid
Reading Time: < 1 minute The counties of Parkland, Brazeau, Lac Ste. Anne and Yellowhead are looking for people to fill out an online survey as part of their proposal to the Canadian Smart Cities Challenge, sponsored by Infrastructure Canada. This proposal has been selected as one of the 20 national finalists, and is the only one about agriculture. The […] Read more
Data is too important to be left in the hands of others
Canada relies on the U.S for critical agricultural data, and that leaves us extraordinarily vulnerable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Vulnerability is a word that I have taken to heart a lot in the past few years. We are vulnerable when we change, or seek change; vulnerable when we are left open to volatile weather or markets; and in agriculture, we are extraordinarily vulnerable when we are without data. The partial shutdown of the U.S. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
