CNS Canada — Aggressive contracting in the hemp sector is expected to bump up Canadian acres — another benefit for growers who will experience less red tape this year. “We’ve seen a lot of activity on the contracting side for growers,” said Kim Shukla, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance at Steinbach, Man. […] Read more
With demand, deregulation, ‘opportunities abound’ for hemp
Quebec farmers to shut snowmobile trails in tax dispute
Members of Quebec’s general farm organization plan to revoke permission for snowmobilers to use their land starting Monday, in protest over the province’s planned reforms to its farmland property tax credit. L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) said Wednesday it had been planning such a move in late 2016 but on Dec. 20 had asked members […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola pointed lower
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts saw a bit of a corrective bounce on Wednesday but their overall trend remains pointed lower, with the winter highs possibly in for now, according to an analyst. “The technical and the fundamentals are pointing down,” said Errol Anderson of Pro Market Communications in Calgary, pointing to […] Read more
Four food firms said preparing bids for Weetabix
London | Reuters — The third-biggest U.S. cereal company, Post Holdings, and the U.K.’s Associated British Foods are among a group of four bidders vying for British cereal brand Weetabix, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The 84-year-old business could fetch at least 1.5 billion pounds (C$2.48 billion), based on a valuation of more […] Read more
When it comes to cash flow, ignorance is dangerous
Tighter margins make it that much easier to find yourself caught short when bills come due
Reading Time: 2 minutes The new year is a good time to review your marketing plans and cash flow projections, says a provincial farm financial specialist. “Cash is the lifeblood of a business, but with so much emphasis usually put on profitability, it can be easy to overlook this fact,” said Rick Dehod. “Poor cash flow management can drive […] Read more
Alberta companies head to Boston food forum
Reading Time: < 1 minute Anyone interested in exporting food or beverages to the eastern U.S. is invited to participate in Taste of Canada 2017 in Boston on June 5-6. “Taste of Canada is an agri-food buyer-seller forum where Canadian suppliers can showcase their food products in a tabletop setting while meeting one on one with pre- screened American importers, […] Read more
Learn how to become a better boss
Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 workshops to be held
Reading Time: < 1 minute If you’re struggling to find and retain good employees, you may find answers at The Human Resource Essentials workshops (Jan. 31 at the Airdrie Agriculture Centre and Feb. 1 at the Stony Plain Provincial Building). The workshops will focus on key components of an HR strategy: simple effective job descriptions, interviewing, training plans, boosting employee engagement, and tools for managing […] Read more
What’s been your experience with precision ag?
Survey runs until March 4
Reading Time: < 1 minute Prairie farmers are being asked to take part in an online survey on precision agriculture to help advance innovation in Canadian farming. The survey, which runs until March 4, focuses on precision agriculture tools that western Canadian farmers use or are considering using in 2017, as well as barriers they face in adopting the technology. […] Read more
Open Farms Days breaks record for visitors and sales
Reading Time: < 1 minute The latest edition of Open Farm Days broke records as visitors flocked to farms and ranches across the province to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of rural Alberta. Newly released data shows there were close to 18,000 visits to the 92 farms and ranches hosting events and activities Aug. 20-21, while 26 culinary events […] Read more
When it came to severe weather, Alberta (thankfully) was no. 2
We still had nearly twice as many ‘hail events’ as usual, but Manitoba was worse off for once
Reading Time: 3 minutes The new year comes with the usual list of Top 10 things about the previous year, and in the category of weather, this really appears to be the case. There are the Top 10 Prairie weather stories, Top 10 Canadian weather stories, and the Top 10 world weather stories (which often tend to be skewed […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
