MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada (StatCan) issued its potato production report Thursday, which noted a 1.5 per cent increase in the country’s crop in 2022. Across Canada, nearly 122.9 million hundredweight (cwt) of potatoes were harvested last year, with an average national yield of 322.3 cwt/acre on 381,351 acres. Alberta rose from third into the top […] Read more

Canada’s potato crop edges up in 2022
Alberta up into top spot among potato-producing provinces

Canada withdraws proposed measures banning certain rifles, shotguns
Critics said plan was unfair to farmers, hunters
Reuters — Canada has withdrawn proposed amendments to gun legislation that would have banned certain types of rifles and shotguns, the government said on Friday, after opponents alleged the prohibitions unfairly targeted farmers and hunters. The amendments were added to a gun control package that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced last year after the […] Read more

Price drop not enough to lift demand for Canadian flax
Russia, Kazakhstan competitive in export markets
MarketsFarm — While flax prices in Western Canada have fallen by at least half from what they were one year ago, they are still too high to be competitive on a global level, according to one flax processor. Mike Popowich, owner and vice-president of TA Foods Ltd. at Yorkton, Sask., said demand for the crop […] Read more

China top destination for Canadian grains, oilseeds
CGC data points to key destinations
MarketsFarm — China is the top destination for Canadian grain and oilseed exports through the first five months of the 2022-23 marketing year, accounting for roughly a third of the total movement, according to the latest monthly report from the Canadian Grain Commission. Canada has exported 6.566 million tonnes of grains, oilseeds, and pulses to […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: India looking for lentils, large Australian crop in play
India extends zero-rate tariff
MarketsFarm — An extension of zero-rate tariffs on lentils moving into India for another year should be a clear sign that the country is in the market for imports. However, Canadian lentil sales to India face stiff competition, with a large Australian crop likely to limit movement going forward. India announced at the end of […] Read more

USDA sees little change in Australian, Canadian wheat output
MarketsFarm — There isn’t much in the way of significant changes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) attaché reports on grain production in Australia and Canada. USDA’s Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) office in Canberra pegged Australia’s wheat production for 2022-23 at 37 million tonnes, 400,000 more than the official USDA estimate. In comparison, […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea prices up ahead of India harvest
Early outlook calls for more Canadian acres in 2023
MarketsFarm — Western Canadian chickpea prices are still on the rise while prices for other pulse crops are coming down as supply increases. High-delivered bids for Kabuli and B-90 types of chickpeas rose four cents per pound over the past week, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire on Jan. 23. As a result, the nine- and […] Read more

Op/Ed: The consequences from food inflation can last a generation
There’s no room for compromise when it comes to ensuring our children have proper nutrition
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent high food price inflation has plagued many Canadian families, especially those on tight budgets. Statistics Canada reported in October that in-store food prices increased at a faster rate than the all-items Consumer Price Index for the 11th month in a row. The Ontario Student Nutrition Program, which feeds 28,000 students, reports that a breakfast […] Read more

Rabobank to offer Canadian farm-level lending
Dutch co-operative bank's Canadian arm to loan directly to farmers, starting on Prairies
Updated — A global financing firm operating at higher altitudes in Canada’s food and agrifood sector now plans to expand its business down to the farm and ranch level. The Canadian arm of Rabobank — an Amsterdam-based farmer co-operative lender, providing banking, leasing and real estate services in more than 38 countries — announced Tuesday […] Read more

Winter storm causes havoc across Canada
Alberta ranchers shelter cattle against winds
Ottawa/Winnipeg | Reuters — Strong winds, freezing rain and heavy snowfall closed schools, cut power to homes and cancelled flights across Canada on Friday as a powerful winter storm swept across the country, prompting authorities to warn people to stay indoors ahead of worsening conditions. The storm is connected to the same freezing weather system […] Read more