Have you heard about veganuary? It's January, but where you give up eating meat and other animal-based food and home products. The latest celebrities to jump on this bandwagon are Beyoncé and Jay-Z (in case that matters to you), and given that it's "new year, new you" season, I'm sure there will be many, many... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
Gerry Ritz lives by a quiet lake in the northeastern corner of the riding he used to represent in the House of Commons as a Saskatchewan MP and many years as agriculture minister for Stephen Harper. After two decades of life in politics he says his honey-do list is pretty long, but he has very... Read More
Will pulse growers get a great gift of pea export movement in the new year? Will the Canadian dollar get back to tracking crude oil? Will soybeans have another tough year in Western Canada? Chuck Penner, of LeftField Commodity Research, joins RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney for a market melee full of holiday joy and... Read More
If your goal is to eat local, mushrooms should figure prominently on your list. Canada's commercial fresh mushroom growers produce about 99% of what you'll find at the grocery store. What's more, about 40% of the over 130,000 tonnes of mushrooms produced are exported, mainly to the U.S., and that demand is growing, says Ryan... Read More
If you've upgraded any farm buildings to improve energy efficiency in the last two years, or have plans to in the next two years, and farm in Alberta — the Farm Energy and Agri-Processing Program may be for you. As Vern Steinborn, of SouthGrow, shares in the video below, the Government of Alberta has rolled... Read More
Farmer directors representing five Manitoba producer organizations have completed a proposal to amalgamate into a single, new not-for-profit organization focused on research, communication and market development. The five groups looking to form one organization are: the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Manitoba Wheat and... Read More
There are many challenges that have the potential to dash the business plans and hopes of farmers —from trade agreements, to climate change, and primary risks. Strong government policy is part of the solution. Helping shape effective policy will be one of Dr. Alan Ker's goals as he assumes the newly-created Research Chair in Agriculture... Read More
The recent WASDE report created barely a ripple in the markets, and now traders are trying to figure what's going on. The November report is often a bit of a snoozer, and this year is no exception, but the underlying political currents make this year a bit harder to decipher. RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney... Read More
It's fundamentally understood by most countries around the world that competition is a good thing. It forces countries to be innovative and focused on the competitive factors within its control to be the best they can be as a nation — things like infrastructure, tax and trade policy, and natural resources. Canada has its strengths... Read More
Many times when we talk about trade deals there is immense focus on reducing tariffs, increasing trade flows, or increasing market access. There are other chapters of text that create a basis for the agreement in terms of how the involved countries will handle issues like the environment, labour standards, and cultural exemptions. Carlo Dade,... Read More