Ontario’s 2016 budget made many headlines last week – from free university tuition for low income families to a 4.3 cent climate-change-fighting gas tax, and even a lower-than-expected deficit. But what does it all mean for agriculture, farmers and rural Ontario? With some help from our RealAgriculture twitter followers, we peppered Ontario Agriculture, Food and... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
The administration of cash advances has become a competitive business following legislative changes to the federal government's cash advance program last year. With the passage of Bill C-18, each producer group that serves as an Advance Payments Program administrator (find a list here) can issue the short-term loans for all 45 crops and livestock types... Read More
Back in the winter of 2013-14 when Western Canada's grain industry was bogged down in a massive rail backlog, the upcoming review of the Canada Transportation Act was viewed as an opportunity to improve the way the rail system moves grain. The review process began in May of 2014 and the final report written by... Read More
Alberta Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier has agreed to work with a coalition of farm groups to improve farm and ranch safety in the province. The Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition, or the "AgCoalition," was formed in response to Bill 6 — the Alberta government's new farm labour legislation. The group aims to provide... Read More
We’re seeing an early spring in many areas…what does it mean for winter wheat? The Chinese government looks to be putting up an obstacle to Canadian canola exports, and seed is going to be a major factor in determining how many pulse acres get planted on the prairies. As well, federal ag minister Lawrence MacAulay... Read More
A coalition of Alberta farm groups formed in response to the province's new farm labour legislation is getting itself organized. The Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition, or the "AgCoalition" as it's known, announced a formalized governance structure, communications protocol and plans for involvement in provincial consultations today. The group's mandate is to "unify... Read More
Canadian farm income hit a record high in 2015, and is expected to drop slightly in 2016, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The impact of a weaker Canadian dollar supporting domestic prices is evident throughout the department's 2016 Canadian Agricultural Outlook, which was published on Friday. Here are some highlights: Net cash income on... Read More
Bryan Walton, CEO of the Alberta Cattle Feeders' Association, and general manager of the National Cattle Feeders' Association, joins us for an update on cattle feeder news, including: the Alberta Beef Industry Conference, the agriculture coalition in Alberta, and a new feedlot assessment tool. Alberta Beef Industry Conference The Alberta Beef Industry Conference kicked off... Read More
SeCan says it has reached a $150,000 settlement with a farm near Moose Jaw, Sask. regarding unauthorized sales of flax and durum varieties protected by Plant Breeders' Rights legislation. Harvey Marcil of Pasqua Farms has agreed to the cash settlement and a declaration that there will be no additional unauthorized sales. The case involved CDC... Read More
Former agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is taking issue with the Canola Council of Canada's recommendation that growers don't use quinclorac herbicide on canola in 2016. "I'm baffled by this non-science-based targeting of this product," he says in the interview below, responding to this Canola School episode published earlier this week. Citing concerns about quinclorac residues... Read More