Chicago | Reuters — U.S. agricultural commodities trader Bunge on Wednesday overhauled its global operations and named a new chief financial officer in the latest shake-up for the 200-year-old company hard hit by a years-long grain market downturn. The moves come as Bunge reported a stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit due to higher soy crush margins in […] Read more
Bunge moves from regional to global operating model
Consider hedging against rate hikes, farmers advised
CNS Canada — The Bank of Canada has raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.5 per cent, marking the fourth time it has raised rates since last summer. The increase from 1.25 per cent is the base rate retail banks pay for short-term loans, but consumer rates for mortgages, lines of credit and other loans […] Read more
Report pegs U.S. dairy support levels
U.S. dairy farmers continue to benefit from broad agriculture supports, a study shows. Dairy Farmers of Canada has had Grey, Clark, Shih and Associates regularly study the effect of U.S. government policy on dairy farms in that country. The latest version of the project was released at the Dairy Farmers of Canada policy conference held […] Read more
Outside panel named for farm risk management review
A panel of 11 “external” experts from across the country has been picked to offer guidance and feedback on a federal/provincial review of farm business risk management (BRM) programming. The panel’s appointment follows an agreement by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers back in July to launch a review of BRM programs, assessing those programs’ […] Read more
High hopes for remote sensing of pasture conditions
Federal funding assists pasture project
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says it hopes a research project on remote sensing of pasture conditions will be the foundation for a new national pasture insurance program. “The project’s findings may allow for more precision in the development of insurance programs for pasture production, on a farm level, rather than by geographic regions or limited […] Read more
Ontario’s RMP stays unchanged for 2018
Ontario’s agriculture ministry won’t be making any changes to its Risk Management Program (RMP) for the 2018 program year. Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal, in a recent letter to Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) chair Mark Brock, said he has decided not to proceed with interim changes to RMP for 2018, pending a review of federal/provincial […] Read more
Satellite insurance forage survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association are conducting a risk management and insurance survey for forage producers to provide information that may be used to design more effective insurance and risk management tools for forage producers. This includes hay, grass, alfalfa, native pasture, and improved pasture. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/foragesatellite […] Read more
Ministers agree on new ag funding framework
Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers for agriculture have agreed on the bones of a new five-year policy funding framework, committing them to a review of its business risk management (BRM) programming. The ministers came out of three days of meetings Friday in St. John’s with the “key elements” of a five-year, $3 billion framework, […] Read more
Manitoba pulls less-loved ag tax credits in budget
More funding for agriculture innovation in Manitoba’s latest provincial budget will be offset in part by an immediate end for several of the less popular tax credits available for farm use. Provincial Finance Minister Cameron Friesen on Tuesday laid out a 2017-18 budget with an overall $840 million deficit, based on a four per cent […] Read more
Thinking like a consumer is key to beef industry’s success
Look at your product from your customers’ point of view as opposed to ours, says president of Certified Angus Beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you deliver the value that consumers want, they will come. And that’s the best way to drive profits in the beef industry. “If we involve them (consumers) in the process in one form or another, we can find a way to move forward that is financially rewarding for production agriculture and deliver a product […] Read more
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