New York | Reuters — The Trump administration is considering requests from the oil refining industry and its backers for a sweeping nationwide waiver to exempt them from their obligations to blend biofuels, a measure they argue would help them weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency […] Read more
Trump administration mulls industry-wide biofuel waiver
Comment period would end after Trump's exit
USDA unveils more COVID-19 aid, mostly for livestock farmers
Funds earmarked for farmers under contract
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday it will pay an additional US$2.3 billion in COVID-19 aid to farmers, directing more money to livestock producers suffering from disruptions in slaughtering and restaurant demand for meat. The aid, which comes from money allocated to USDA from previous pandemic stimulus legislation, follows […] Read more
COVID-19 pandemic produces a bumper crop of novice gardeners
Whether it was growing their own food or beautifying the yard, gardening was hot in 2020
Reading Time: 4 minutes Greenhouses, garden centres and nurseries experienced a year like no other in 2020 as first-time gardeners took up trowels and hoes in unprecedented numbers. “Even if people had never planted before, they wanted to grow a garden,” said Tammy Meinecke, manager of Dunvegan Gardens in Grande Prairie. “Everybody was out planting seeds and trying to […] Read more
Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension
Move meant to boost domestic food supplies
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more
Cereal groups’ amalgamation talks slowed by pandemic
Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat aiming to wrap up review of merger proposal in coming year
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no marriage proposal yet, but Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat want to get moving on what has become a longer-than-expected process on whether to amalgamate or not. “We’re just in the beginning stage of where it will go, and the timeline and how to communicate,” Dave Bishop, immediate past chair of the Alberta Barley […] Read more
Soil scientists turned children’s authors win acclaim
Reading Time: 3 minutes Benjamin Ellert and Katelyn Lutes know a lot about soil, but knew nothing about writing children’s books. Until they wrote one. And now the two federal soil scientists can add ‘prize-winning children’s author’ to their resumés. The duo from Ag Canada’s Lethbridge research station recently won second prize in an international book contest run by […] Read more
Sustainable beef processing expanded
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cargill will be able to source beef from farms and ranches across the country that are certified under Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef protocols. However, while the company’s processing plant in Guelph, Ont. has successfully completed certification, it was temporarily shut down on Dec. 17 after more than 80 workers contracted COVID-19. Once it is […] Read more
Ontario extends lost-labour production insurance
COVID-related coverage held over for 2021 program year
A temporary expansion of Ontario’s AgriInsurance program, to cover losses caused by COVID-19-related short-handedness on the farm, will be held over. The province and federal government on Dec. 22 announced the expansion of coverage will be extended to cover the 2021 program year — and that it will insure production of “additional commodities.” Further details […] Read more
Stuck on the farm doesn’t mean getting stuck in a rut
Online conferences definitely have drawbacks, but farmers still need to ‘stay ahead of the game’
Reading Time: 5 minutes Most every winter, Alberta farmers find themselves hitting the highways to get the latest and greatest in learning at farm conferences and meetings. This year, though, they’re covering that ground on the information superhighway instead. “Normally as a farmer, I’m attending events in the summer and wintertime, and this year, I didn’t get to experience […] Read more
Argentina suspends corn exports to ensure domestic food supplies
Buenos Aires | Reuters – Argentina will suspend corn exports until March 1, the agriculture ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that announced the surprise move as part of the government’s effort to ensure ample domestic food supplies. “This decision is based on the need to ensure the supply of grain for the sectors […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
