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Alberta agriculture minister Devin Dreeshen.
News

Make food supply chain an essential service, says Alberta’s ag minister

Things are working well and there is no need for hoarding or panic buying, says Devin Dreeshen

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Alberta’s food supply chain is stable and is functioning — but it’s essential to keep goods flowing across the U.S. border,  says the province’s agriculture minister. “We have put in an official request to the federal government to deem the entire food supply chain as an essential service to ensure a safe and stable food […] Read more
The Ag-Info Centre, with its familiar toll-free number, has long pitched itself as the go-to resource for farmers and ranchers. But the province now says it will refer producers “to organizations that are better positioned to answer” their questions.
News

Staff laid off at the Ag-Info Centre

Livestock and crop specialists have lost their jobs but province says farmers will be able to get the info they need

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Eight specialists at the Ag-Info Centre in Stettler have been laid off in the latest round of staff cuts at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. But the provincial government says farmers won’t be affected. There was no public announcement of the layoffs, but the province did send letters to crop and livestock associations as well as […] Read more
The new provincial workplace safety law for farms is now in effect but even if you have just one paid, non-family employee, the Occupational Health and Safety Act still applies.
News

What does the new farm safety law mean on your farm?

There are more options under Farm Freedom and Safety Act but farm employers have the same basic obligations

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The Farm Freedom and Safety Act doesn’t give producers freedom from making sure their employees make it home safe and sound at the end of every work day. That’s the gist of a new campaign by AgSafe Alberta, which is trying to correct a misconception that Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws don’t apply to […] Read more
News

Alberta farm groups propose new research model

A ‘white paper’ by crop and livestock groups calls for a new way of doing things

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The provincial government should “play a role” but needs to work closely with the ag sector to develop a new research funding model, say Alberta farm groups. “Both Agriculture Minister (Devin) Dreeshen and Premier (Jason) Kenney have been vocal about the need to put research back in the hands of producers,” Alberta Wheat and Alberta […] Read more
Producers Christi Friesen (left) and Josefine Bartlett with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (centre) at a meeting in Peace River on Jan. 8.
News

Peace River farmers host local girl — the deputy prime minister

Chrystia Freeland now lives in Toronto but agreed to meet with producers during a trip to visit family

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A group of Peace Country farmers had a meeting with a special guest earlier this month — the so-called ‘minister for almost everything’ who has become Justin Trudeau’s top lieutenant in his minority government. But up in the Peace, many know Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as Don’s daughter and that sparked the idea for […] Read more
Beef Cattle, News

Trade deal hailed by Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

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The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is hailing the completion of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and encouraging its swift ratification. “The experience of the North American beef cattle industries under NAFTA is testament to the value of trade agreements,” it said. “Access to global markets, including the North American market, means that on average that each animal […] Read more
China’s decision to get back at Canada by severely restricting canola seed imports made news all year long.
Canola, News

The Year That Was: China punishes Prairie farmers

For crop growers, China’s canola seed ban was the big news story of 2019

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China’s near-total ban on Canadian canola seed dominated the news cycle in the past year. “The biggest challenge we faced through 2019 was the blockage of canola seed shipments to China,” said Jim Everson, president of Canola Council of Canada. “China is, of course, a very significant market for canola seed, oil, and meal, but […] Read more
Crops

Manitoba gathering data to press case for exempting grain drying from federal carbon tax

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The Manitoba government is gathering data to make the case for exempting grain drying fuels from the federal government’s carbon tax. “So we’ll get the numbers together and then to (federal agriculture) Minister (Marie-Claude) Bibeau and we’ll continue to lobby on behalf of our ag producers,” Manitoba’s Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pederson said […] Read more
News

Certificate needed to avoid carbon tax on fuel

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Alberta Beef Producers is urging farmers to fill out a fuel charge exemption form before Jan. 1, when the federal carbon tax kicks in for the province. The carbon tax (officially called the Federal Fuel Charge) isn’t levied on gasoline and light fuel oil for farm machinery “for the purpose of farming or travelling from […] Read more
Added costs are the last thing farmers need after a hard year, says one farm group leader.
Crops, News

Lift carbon tax on grain drying, say farm groups

Fuels used for drying grain have not been exempted from the federal carbon tax

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Farm groups have fired off urgent appeals for government financial help for producers struggling with a weather-disrupted harvest made worse by the imposition of the federal carbon tax on fuel used to dry grain. A coalition of Alberta commodity groups as well as the Grain Farmers of Ontario sent requests directly to Prime Minister Justin […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending March 27, 2020.

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