Canada’s federal New Democrats have appointed their critic for agriculture and agri-food to a new point position on a major issue for the fourth-ranked opposition party. After the House of Commons resumed sitting last Monday (Jan. 30), NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on Friday named Alistair MacGregor, MP for the Vancouver Island riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, to […] Read more
Federal NDP ag critic to handle food inflation file
Mini-shuffle follows new critic portfolio
Peak diesel prices may be ending but at a price
Analyst says softening economy should push down fuel prices, but that could hit farmers in other ways
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers could soon see some relief from high diesel fuel prices but they may not like how it happens, says a Calgary energy analyst. Canada is shortly going to feel the effects of last year’s ground-breaking interest rate hikes, complete with slowdowns in the economy, the GDP and consumer demand, said Vijay Muralidharan. With that […] 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
From the best to the worst, it’s the year told in verse
It’s a year-end tradition done with contrition, a light-hearted review for you to go through
Reading Time: 3 minutes As longtime readers know, what we do each year first isReview the one that’s just past, but do it in doggerel (bad verses)A look back to review things is usually a good practice gainfulBut this year it’s one that feels kind of painfulUps and downs for farmers here seem only a piffleCompared to those in […] Read more
Consumers look to their wallets – and social media – when it comes to food
Local, sustainable and whipped coffee is trendy, but it’s more complicated when it comes to meat
Reading Time: 3 minutes Local food is still a hot trend and consumers are moving to the middle ground when it comes to eating meat. Those are two takeaways for farmers from the latest Nourish Trend Report from Toronto food and beverage marketing agency Nourish Food Marketing. The food sector is on the brink of great change, said company […] Read more
Rural food banks see huge jump in visits
Inflation is hitting thousands of Albertans very hard
Reading Time: 6 minutes Food banks across the province, including those in rural communities, are seeing soaring demand. “Food bank use in Alberta has gone up 73 per cent since 2019,” said Arianna Scott, CEO of Food Banks Alberta. That’s more than double the 35 per cent rise seen nationally over the same period, but it is no surprise […] Read more
Opinion: It’s not just oil production that’s keeping diesel prices high
Refinery production has fallen since the pandemic, and that’s unlikely to change
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – Global shortages of middle distillates such as diesel, gas oil and heating oil are intensifying rather than easing, making it more likely a relatively severe slowdown in the business cycle will be necessary to rebalance the market. U.S. inventories of distillate fuel oil fell to 106 million barrels in early October, the lowest […] Read more
Strong commodity prices to continue: FCC
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is forecasting “another year of excellent crop prices,” albeit with big declines for some crops. The ag lender predicts canola will average $870 a tonne this crop year, which is $100 below the 2021-22 average but well above the five-year average of $490. FCC forecasts spring wheat prices to average $430 a tonne […] Read more
Crystal balls are even more wonky this year
The uncertainty factor is as high as fertilizer prices right now
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers face tough choices about purchasing fertilizer for next year. Buy now? Or roll the dice and hope prices fall? There are reports of price dips in some countries because farmers are balking at the high cost. But the fundamentals aren’t good, said one American fertilizer analyst. “I think prices are going to see continued […] Read more
Competition Bureau to probe soaring food prices
Retail food prices seen outpacing inflation
Reuters — Canada’s competition watchdog said on Monday it would examine factors impacting soaring food prices and whether more competition in the grocery stores sector could help lower costs for Canadians. Price rises for store-bought food have been outpacing the broader annual inflation rate for 10 consecutive months, and grew 11.4 per cent in September, […] Read more
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