What management practices and behaviours make farmers more financially successful? A report commissioned by the Agri-Food Management Institute and Farm Management Canada attempts to answer this question. “With the Dollars and Sense study we’re trying to determine what makes a leading farmer. How do they end up in the top 25% of farmers versus the... Read More

Monsanto says it has received import approval from China for its Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans, meaning growers in Canada and the U.S. will have access to Xtend varieties for the 2016 growing season. “We are pleased to bring Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans to the market,” said Brett Begemann, Monsanto's President and Chief Operating... Read More

The China National Chemical Corporation, also known as ChemChina, has reached an acquisition agreement with Syngenta to purchase the entire company for US$43 billion. After months of speculation about a possible sale and several attempts by rival Monsanto, the proposed acquisition of the Swiss crop input and seed company was announced early February 3. “We... Read More

As the Canadian Dairy XPO enters its fourth year, the upstart dairy industry show is making moves to attract more producers and exhibitors. The show attracted about 10,000 people when it launched in 2013. Local dairy producers have embraced the show, says CDX General Manager Jordon Underhill, “but what we’ve seen is an increase in... Read More

In December, immediately after attending the Farm Forum Event in Saskatoon, I hit the air again, this time bound for Boise, Idaho. I was en route to Ranching for Profit, a course I signed up to attend with a few of my close family members. The only cautionary tales I had heard were from people... Read More

Tractors keep getting bigger and bigger, but with the advent of automation, do we really need 500 HP tractors? Ohio State University (OSU) professor Scott Shearer doesn't think so. He believes future tractors will get a lot smaller and become autonomous units that make farm soils more productive. “The current trend to increasingly larger equipment... Read More

More than 280 Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) jammed into a London, Ontario hotel last week to talk agronomy, information and regulation. It was the largest turnout ever for the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors Association annual meeting since the event began 13 years ago. The province currently has 545 active CCAs and the number is expected... Read More