Reading Time: 2 minutes Sales of organic food and beverages in Canada is booming, especially in Alberta, says a new report from the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative. The report pegs the value of the organic market (not counting alcohol sales) in Canada at $4.2 billion and says it grew by an average of 8.4 per cent annually from 2012 […] Read more
Organic food sales in Alberta growing at a sizzling pace
New study finds organic food and beverage sales expanding by more than 10 per cent annually
There’s light at the end of the trade war tunnel
Prices will return to normal and ag exports will continue to grow
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s battle to renegotiate a free trade deal with the U.S. appears to be over, but global trade wars rage on — and that means producers can expect volatile markets for some time to come. But in the long run, it should all work out fine, says a new analysis by Farm Credit Canada on […] Read more
Ten more counties eligible for tax relief
Livestock tax deferral program assists livestock producers who had to cull their herd this year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Another 10 Alberta municipalities are now eligible for the federal government’s livestock tax deferral program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s initial list of eligible municipalities issued in September has been expanded to include many counties passed over the first time. Municipalities are only eligible for the program if forage yields fall below 50 per cent of […] Read more
Lender willing to ease loan payments
Reading Time: < 1 minute The country’s biggest ag lender says it will offer “flexibility” for customers hit by snow and rain this harvest. “FCC will work with customers to come up with solutions for their operation and will consider deferral of principal payments and/or other loan payment schedule amendments to reduce the financial pressure on producers impacted by wet […] Read more
Trade agreement a big deal for canola growers
Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord comes as canola acreage poised to grow once again
Reading Time: 4 minutes The timing couldn’t be better. Tariffs on Canadian canola oil into Asia could be scrapped as early as January if the new Trans-Pacific trade deal goes into effect. And that’s good news as canola growers seem poised to boost acreage this coming spring. Canada ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) late […] Read more
G3 Canada announces second Alberta elevator
Company’s elevator in Wetaskiwin under construction, work on Carmangay to start shortly
Reading Time: 1 minute G3 Canada Limited is building a second new state-of-the-art elevator in the province. G3 Carmangay will be built southwest of the southern Alberta community, on the east side of Highway No. 23 on the CP Rail line. It will have a capacity of 42,000 tonnes, be able to empty a Super-B truck in under five […] Read more
Provincial lender triples its loan maximums for farmers
In addition to the new $15-million limit, the Crown corporation is making terms more flexible
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Agricultural Financial Services Corporation is upping the amount of money it will loan producers. The move comes after a two-year review that included public consultation and meetings with producers and industry groups. “The review found that there is strong need for AFSC’s financial support across Alberta aimed at encouraging rural development and meeting the […] Read more
Producers may not give peas a chance next year
Lentil acreage may also decline as India’s tariffs and tough growing conditions take a toll
Reading Time: 4 minutes Some Alberta producers could become former pulse growers next year if the markets don’t turn around soon. “It’s the third year in a row that they’ve been at the bottom of the net income,” said Josh Fankhauser, who farms near Claresholm. “The math just doesn’t work.” Yellow peas have been part of Fankhauser’s rotation for […] Read more
Farms in financial good shape, says Farm Credit Canada
Reading Time: < 1 minute Although total farm debt in Canada now tops $100 billion, the sector is “well positioned to thrive in the current economic and financial environment,” says the chief economist with Farm Credit Canada. “The current debt-to-asset ratio in agriculture remains lower than the 10-year average… and farm liquidity remains healthy,” said JP Gervais. A relatively low […] Read more
Grain marketing plans come with a learning curve
Forward contracting is a good way to get started, and a solid plan is needed to lower risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes Marketing your grain and using your drone have more in common than you might think. “No one just buys a drone, flips the switch, and away it goes. You’ve got to figure out how it works and how it’s going to work for you,” said David Derwin, an investment adviser at PI Financial. “It’s the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
