For nearly 17 years, many rural Manitobans have felt left out when it comes to provincial politics. With votes and elected representatives largely coming from Winnipeg and the North, appealing to citizens and communities in the southern, agricultural region of the province has not been a priority for the NDP since Gary Doer led them... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
Monsanto is still confident Canadian farmers will be able to plant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans this spring, but seed dealers and partners are working diligently on Plan B to ensure seed alternatives. The company continues to hold hope that it will receive European Union (EU) approval for the glyphosate and dicamba tolerant soybeans in... Read More
Have you ever been to Picture Butte? It is the feedlot capital of Canada. Picture Butte and Lethbridge County are the largest cattle feeding area in Canada. I have lived in the Picture Butte area my entire life. It comes with a butte that no longer exists, a shut down sugar factory that now stores... Read More
With governments across the country talking about putting a price on carbon, there's serious concern that policy-makers will end up taxing and raising costs for a group of people who have made significant progress in and are already achieving the intended outcome of sequestering carbon: farmers. "I don't think we've done a very good job... Read More
Canadian farmers are still wondering whether they’ll get a chance to plant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans this spring. They’ll likely get their answer in mid-April. In February, Monsanto Canada announced it had received import approval from China for the glyphosate and dicamba tolerant soybeans, giving the company the confidence to ensure Canadian farmers that... Read More
The Chinese government has agreed to postpone tighter dockage standards on Canadian canola. In February, China indicated a new standard allowing no more than 1 percent foreign material would be implemented on April 1. As Reuters first reported on Tuesday morning, China's import policy changes have now been postponed until September 1, 2016. The Chinese... Read More
The entire seed industry value chain in Canada — from breeders through to grain companies —is adjusting to new Plant Breeders' Rights legislation following the ratification of UPOV '91 standards last June. As Lorne Hadley, executive director of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, explains in the conversation below, the CPTA is working with all stakeholders... Read More
The ratio of workers to retirees in Canada has historically been around 5 to 1, however it's trending toward 2 to 1 in the next few decades. The implications this will have for government and the labour market was the topic of Andrew Coyne's talk at the Growing the Agri-Workforce Summit, as ag industry people... Read More
The federal government is finding ways to spend $19 billion more than promised during the election campaign last fall. Some of that money will be spent in agriculture-related areas. Finance Minister Bill Morneau's first budget, unveiled Tuesday, projects a $29.4 billion deficit in 2016-17 — well beyond the $10 billion deficit outlined by the Liberals... Read More
A guest editorial by Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada Saskatoon recently saw a meeting of some of the most important minds in Canadian wheat research. A workshop was held that included public and private researchers from across Canada, farmers from coast to coast, and Canadian exporters. Our goal was to move forward on the... Read More