Reading Time: 6 minutes Prairie farmers face unprecedented volatility but experts say smarter contracts, fertilizer planning and diversification can help.
Tariffs, trade wars and the Iran conflict: How Prairie farmers can manage unprecedented volatility
Economists and farm management specialists say market swings, fertilizer disruptions from the Iran conflict and rule-breaking governments are creating risks not seen since the Second World War — but farmers aren't powerless
Debt decisions need strategy
Take a strategic approach rather than reacting to immediate trends
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier Farmmedia — With interest rates swinging around like apes in the jungle, farmers might feel a lot of pressure to react to their debt and financing situations. Debt and financing decisions today, however, will have a long-term impact, so farmers should be tying decisions to the strategic vision for their operations, Backswath Management consultant […] Read more
Opinion: Canada’s disappearing ‘average farmer’
Agricultural policy used to be aimed at the middle — but what if the middle is missing?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s agriculture industry has been undergoing significant changes over the past 45 years. Since the 1970s, the number of farms has been steadily declining, but not all farms have been impacted equally — mid-size farms have been hit the hardest, as the number of small and large farms increases. The mid-size farm category used to […] Read more
What happens when the big fish eat all the smaller ones?
Big farms want more land but they also need smaller farms to buy their used equipment
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Large farms in Canada continue to grow at the expense of small and medium-size ones — and at an accelerating pace, says a new report. The reality is that any talk of “the ‘average’ farm is all but meaningless,” says one of its authors. “Today, increasing average farm size is not due […] Read more
Telus, Rabobank ag arms buy into farm data aggregator
Companies join in on deal for Minneapolis-based Conservis
The agriculture arms of one of Canada’s major telecoms providers and a major Dutch bank and financial services firm are taking a stake in a tech firm in the business of gathering on-farm data into a single window. Telus Agriculture and Rabo AgriFinance, which is headquartered in St. Louis and serves U.S. farm customers, announced […] Read more
Telus’ farm and food sector acquisitions take new shape
Canadian telco giant launches new Telus Agriculture unit
Canadian telco and info tech giant Telus has consolidated its recent — and ongoing — acquisitions in farm tech, ag data management and supply chain management into a single new business unit. The Vancouver company, one of Canada’s “big five” telecommunications firms, on Thursday formally launched Telus Agriculture, billed as “a new business unit dedicated […] Read more
Now is the second-best time to create your business plan
Business plans boost profitability but during a crisis, they also help you ‘sleep at night’
Reading Time: 3 minutes COVID-19 has a lot of farmers dusting off their risk management strategies, but if a business plan isn’t part of that, you’re likely sacrificing your bottom line — and your peace of mind. “We know that farmers are very stressed, but we also know that business planning can help,” said Heather Watson, executive director of […] Read more
Report links business management, mental health of farmers
Farm women, young farmers report higher levels of stress, difficulties coping
Ottawa — A new report from Farm Management Canada (FMC) calls for action after determining 75 per cent of Canadian farmers reported being moderately to highly stressed about unpredictable interference, workload pressure and financial pressures. But how a farmer plans his or her business — and associated risks — can help lower that statistic. The […] Read more
Cervus to expand Saskatchewan reach
Deere chain announces Nipawin shop, Farm At Hand tie-in
Deere farm equipment dealer chain Cervus Equipment is set to expand its reach in northeastern Saskatchewan next month. Calgary-based Cervus — which operates 21 Deere dealerships in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia along with 42 other machinery dealerships in Canada, Australia and New Zealand — announced Thursday it plans to have a new dealership open […] Read more
AGI buys ag business management software muscle
Grain handling equipment maker Ag Growth Industries (AGI) plans to level up on its SureTrack farm management software platform with a deal for another Canadian player in the same business. Winnipeg-based AGI announced Thursday it has bought all outstanding shares in Oakville, Ont.-based Affinity Management Ltd., developer of the Compass brand of farm and agribusiness […] Read more