MarketsFarm — Ahead of the July world supply and demand estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), due out Tuesday, the department’s attaché in Beijing put forth its forecast changes. The attaché lowered ending stocks for China’s new-crop soybeans and rapeseed, while it increased the carryover for new-crop corn and wheat, in reports released […] Read more

USDA attaché alters call on China’s ending stocks

Going the extra mile pays off for 4-H clubs during pandemic
Reading Time: 4 minutes Throughout the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 4-H Alberta had one clear goal: to serve their youth. “We knew they were a vulnerable population that needed this community,” said Kurt Kinnear, the organization’s CEO. “We worked as much as we could to serve our youth through all of this, whether it was virtual […] Read more

AgriStability enrolment deadline extended for 2022
Two-month extension in place for fourth year in a row
The deadline for Canadian farmers to enroll in AgriStability has been extended for two months — making 2022 the fourth year in a row with a enrolment deadline bump for the farm income stabilization program. The enrolment deadline without penalty for the 2022 program year was previously scheduled for this Saturday, April 30, but is […] Read more

StatsCan predicts more Canadian wheat acres, less canola in 2022
Lentil, corn, soy acres are also expected up from 2021, barley down
MarketsFarm — Canada’s farmers intend to seed more acres to wheat and less to canola in 2022, according to the first survey-based estimates from Statistics Canada for the upcoming crop year released Tuesday. Canola area is forecast at 20.9 million acres by the government agency, which would be down by seven per cent from the […] Read more

U.S. extends COVID vaccine requirements for non-citizens at land borders
U.S. agribusinesses still seeking exemptions for cross-border truckers
Washington | Reuters — The United States government said Thursday it’s extending a requirement that non-U.S. citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders must be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The requirements were first adopted in November as part of reopening the United States to land crossings by foreign tourists after […] Read more

It’s been one crisis after another but better days are coming
After two very tough years, better days are on the way for cattle sector, says Bob Lowe
Reading Time: 4 minutes COVID. Drought. Border blockades. A feed crisis. Packing plant closures. As the man at the helm of Canada’s top cattle organization, Bob Lowe has had more fires to put out than any Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president in recent memory. And now that he’s finished his term as president, the Nanton-area rancher and feedlot operator is […] Read more

CF Industries warns of shipment delays via Union Pacific
Reuters — Fertilizer firm CF Industries on Thursday warned of delays in shipment of its nitrogen fertilizers, a week after Union Pacific mandated certain shippers to reduce the volume of private cars on its rails. The announcement of delay also comes a month after CF said it is increasing fertilizer shipments to both U.S. coasts […] Read more

Changes to TFW program to expand worker availability
Workplace LMIAs now valid for 18 months
The federal government is boosting the availability of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to ag and other understaffed sectors under a list of policy changes announced Monday. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough announced what’s called the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map, which the government said “marks the next step in […] Read more

Supply chain improvement funds pledged in federal budget
Money also added for support of TFWs, P.E.I. potato sector
The federal government’s release last week of its Emissions Reduction Plan has turned out to be the spoiler for new ag funding in Thursday’s 2022 budget — although more money is also pledged to help strengthen cross-country supply chains generally. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday laid out a federal budget with about $452.3 billion […] Read more

U.S. grains: Crop data awaited as grains fall with other commodities
China COVID-19 cases weigh on markets; grain traders monitor Ukraine news
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures fell on Monday as worries over coronavirus cases in China weighed on commodity markets while grain traders also adjusted positions ahead of key U.S. crop reports due later this week. Crude oil dropped sharply as China’s financial hub, Shanghai, launched a lockdown to contain surging […] Read more