After implementing restrictions on the use of corn and soybean seed treatments last summer, the Ontario government is now seeking public feedback on a "Pollinator Health Action Plan." The plan is seen as the third component in the province's pollinator health strategy, with the other two pillars being restrictions on neonicotinoid seed treatments and the... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
We're talking about everything from the state of the US and Canadian economies to SaskCanola's effort to share how many farmers view modern ag technology through the "License to Farm" film. After spending most of the week at Ag Days in Brandon, Kelvin Heppner host of this week's news podcast and is joined by a... Read More
Health Canada has issued notice it intends to stop granting new conditional registrations for pesticides as of June 1st, 2016. "The Government of Canada is committed to making regulatory decisions that are open and transparent, which is why we have decided to discontinue the use of conditional registrations," said Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, earlier... Read More
Manitoba farmers will see their crop insurance coverage increase by an average of seven percent while average premiums per acre will decrease by four percent in 2016. Manitoba Ag Minister Ron Kostyshyn made his annual crop insurance program announcements at Manitoba Ag Days on Tuesday, the last day before the pre-election blackout on Manitoba government... Read More
Alberta's Crop Sector Working Group (CSWG) is encouraging farmers, ranchers and their employees to participate in an online survey surrounding Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. “The survey is designed to acquire productive, on-farm feedback relating to Bill 6,” said Kent Erickson, chairman of the Alberta Wheat Commission, in a... Read More
The majority of Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission members at the group's annual meeting in Saskatoon on Wednesday voted in favour of a resolution to join Cereals Canada. The commission is notably absent from the list of producer organizations that are already members of the national group that aims to "ensure a profitable and vibrant future... Read More
For the better part of the last two decades, commodity markets have become accustomed to demand growth from China supporting prices. Whether it was iron ore from Australia or soybeans from the U.S., sales to China grew year-over-year. However, it's becoming increasingly likely that those days are over. Headlines over the last few week to... Read More
SaskPulse members in attendance at the organization's annual general meeting in Saskatoon on Monday voted in favour of making the group's levy refundable. Established in 1984, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is funded by a non-refundable check-off of one per cent of the gross value of all pulses marketed at the first point of sale — the... Read More
It’s been a good news week for Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Mark Brock. But he’s unsure how positive reports on the impacts neonicotinoid seed treatments have on pollinators will affect provincial grain farmers. Earlier this week, reports from Health Canada and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) delivered a one-two punch supporting the embattled... Read More
J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada, in conversation with RealAgriculture's Debra Murphy at the 2015 Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association Conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (before mCOOL was repealed). 2015 saw some pretty incredible market pressures in the livestock sector, amidst overarching trade stories with the ongoing battle over country-of-origin labeling and the... Read More