MarketsFarm — Despite a year of economic uncertainty due to extreme weather, reduced crop yields and the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Canadian farmland rose by its highest rate in four years, according to a report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). FCC’s report, released Monday, revealed that the national average value of farmland increased by […] Read more
Rate of rise in farmland value ‘surprised’ in 2021
Canada books 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase, FCC reports
Good and bad in livestock outlook
Reading Time: < 1 minute “It will be another year of split margins in the cattle sector — positive for cow-calf and pressured for feedlots,” says a new forecast from Farm Credit Canada. The report also predicts higher prices for pigs but that feed costs for farrow-to-finish operations in the West mean “some profitability challenges may be present.” Not surprisingly, […] Read more
Farm receipts higher despite drought
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is predicting farm cash receipts will rise in Alberta this year — but not by much. FCC said that 2021 was “a good year” for Canadian farmers and it estimates the final tally for farm cash receipts will be up by 10 per cent (to $79.2 billion). In Alberta, they will […] Read more
Crystal balls are especially wonky, so watch your news feed
There’s been so much upheaval on every front, watchlists are replacing predictions
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm Credit Canada is steering clear of predictions and instead offering producers a short list of things to monitor in 2022. The pandemic, weather disasters, supply chain disruptions, labour issues and the reappearance of inflation are among the many things that are making “trends increasingly difficult to forecast,” FCC said in a recent release. But […] Read more
Host of groups receiving grants for community projects
Reading Time: 2 minutes Five Alberta communities are sharing $100,000 from the Rural Communities Foundation, a charitable arm of UFA. The largest portion, $30,000 went to the Nampa and District Historical Society, which is converting a no-longer-used United Church (that had been donated to it) into a cultural centre in the community southeast of Peace River. Another donated church […] Read more
Farm Credit Canada plans 20 million meals
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada (FCC) says it is engaging the larger agriculture and food community in raising food and cash donations for its Drive Away Hunger program. “Food banks have told us how Drive Away Hunger has transformed their ability to feed hungry families and we think we can do even more to help,” said FCC […] Read more
Land Prices: Interest still high, pocketbooks thinner
Scarce listings get a lot of looks, but drought may curb price rises
Reading Time: 4 minutes The hot weather this summer may cool the price rise for Alberta farmland this winter — but there are still plenty of farmers looking to add acres, say experts. Prior to the drought, the increase in land prices was typical for the first half of the year, said Kuuri Carlson, an appraiser with Farm Credit […] Read more
Fertilizer prices climb sky high
You may be shocked by prices but don’t expect them to fall any time soon
Reading Time: 4 minutes A perfect storm of high commodity prices, high feedstock costs, and lower supplies has sent fertilizer prices soaring. “If you look at where prices are now from roughly a year ago, we’re up in that 25 to 30 per cent more than where we were a year ago,” said Craig Klemmer, principal economist with Farm […] Read more
Ag lender willing to ‘find solutions’ for farmers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is offering a customer support program to farmers and ranchers hit by adverse growing conditions. “We are watching the weather situation very closely and are talking to customers daily,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. If clients suffer cash flow problems. ”We’re ready to support them and find solutions,” he […] Read more
Indigenous communities eye opportunities in agriculture
Farming has largely become a lost skill but there’s a keen interest in both production and value adding
Reading Time: 3 minutes Costly land. Labour shortages. Knowledge gaps. Expensive equipment. New farmers in Canada face plenty of hurdles — but for a growing number of Indigenous producers, those barriers are even bigger. “We see a tremendous amount of interest in all forms of agriculture,” said Shaun Soonias, director of Indigenous relations for Farm Credit Canada. “But a […] Read more
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