Next spring, Albertans will cast their vote for the next premier. In the running to lead the current governing United Conservative Party (UCP) is former rancher and Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) president, Travis Toews. Toews has well-established roots in rural Alberta through his cattle operation and oilfield environmental company. In 2019, he was elected MLA... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
When looking at the overall picture, protein markets have battled the last while, amid rising costs, plant closures and export hiccups. But retail prices have also climbed, with consumer demand keeping pace here at home. For the hog industry, the result has meant a return to decent margins, but trouble could be brewing on the... Read More
The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association has announced the hiring of its new CEO. Grant McLellan, who has served as chief of staff for several Saskatchewan cabinet ministers, including the ministers of agriculture and trade, will step into the role September 12th. He will replace Ryder Lee, who is moving on to serve as the general manager... Read More
Alberta farmers who pay a levy to the Alberta Barley Commission or the Alberta Wheat Commission will have the opportunity to vote on amalgamating the two organizations in October. The Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council, working with third-party advisor MNP and the two commissions, will be administering two online plebiscites: one for barley growers, and... Read More
In the food-grade soybean business, seed companies must maintain a sharp focus on end-user requirements and what growers need to do to meet those market demands. For Sevita International general manager Sandy Hart, the company's success rests on its ability to breed soybean genetics that create value for end-users through food qualities that include protein,... Read More
This column was submitted to RealAgriculture by Cam Dahl, of the Manitoba Pork Council. What is a farmer’s relationship with environmental and animal welfare certification programs? Would it be right to say that it’s complicated? On one hand, farmers feel targeted by those in the activist community who reject the realities of modern agriculture. No... Read More
As the federal government has announced it's desire for a 30 per cent reduction in fertilizer emissions, specifically from nitrogen, the name of the game now is, how? For this Wheat School episode, Dr. Sheri Strydhorst, agronomy research specialist with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission, talks about the nitrogen cycle and takes a scientific... Read More
The Canadian Beef Industry Conference was held at Penticton, B.C., this week, reconnecting the beef industry in-person after several years. One of the key members in attendance was Anne Wasko, who is wrapping up her four-year tenure as chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). RealAgriculture's Kara Oosterhuis was at the conference and... Read More
Global need, market prices, and implications from the pandemic have all demonstrated the benefits of bolstering local agriculture infrastructure, something that Alberta NDP ag critic, Heather Sweet, says the province needs to play catch up on. When comparing the Prairie Provinces, Alberta is showing far less traction with breaking ground on new value-added processing than... Read More
The On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is a federal program being administered by 12 organizations across Canada. In Ontario, the funding for nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing is largely being administered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). EcoCert is also administering a portion of funds for organic growers. Margaret... Read More