Late last week, Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments announced concluded negotiations of a new Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). The CFTA replaces the existing Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), which has been in place since 1995. The CFTA will take effect July 1, 2017, and is designed to "reduce barriers to trade, investment, and... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
What do consumers think of Canadian farmers? Recent studies tell us that consumers appreciate and respect farmers’ efforts to produce healthy, affordable, safe food for Canadians. But to maintain the strength of the Canadian farm brand and consumers’ trust, farmers must continue to be brand champions for their own farms and their industry, says Len... Read More
Trade has been the focal point for the beef industry in North America, lately, as both Canada and the U.S. search for export growth. It seems like we talk more about trade deficits and surpluses between countries than we have in a long time. This week in the Beef Market Update with Anne Wasko, Anne... Read More
[GREAT EXUMA, THE BAHAMAS] – Farmers everywhere – including the Bahamas — used to get in and out of pigs relatively quickly. It’s not really like that anymore, as farming has become more sophisticated. But back then, when prices went up, herds grew quickly. When prices went down, herds shrunk about as fast. And so... Read More
Grains started the month of April with a little bit of follow-through fanfare from the USDA’s stocks and acreage report on March 31st and some speculation over the start of the North American planting season and end of the first South American harvest. For the week, canola was the winner, gaining 0.9% which was helped... Read More
Last week, I woke in the middle of the night to go north. Well, northwest, then north, then more northwest. It took over nine hours to get to Kapuskasing, a mostly mining and lumber town of about 9,500 people. Kap sits in what's called the Great Clay Belt of Northern Ontario — approximately 16 million... Read More
AgriClear, a North America-wide online transaction and payment platform for cattle buyers and sellers, has announced a collaborative marketing agreement with Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+). Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) is a national program providing verification of Canadian beef production practices at the farm, ranch, and feedlot. Delivered nationally under the umbrella of the... Read More
We've hit April, and that means it's time for the first of many #plant17 reports! This week, we've got super early wheat going in in Alberta, believe it or not, so that's where we start with this edition of Wheat Pete's Word. For Ontario growers, host Peter Johnson kicks off with a rust warning and... Read More
If the word "biological" or "bio-stimulant" makes you think of fairy dust and unicorn hair, you're not alone, but these once-mysterious and poorly-understood products are proving their worth in broadacre, commercial agriculture. For example, large, science-based companies such as Monsanto and Alltech have joined in to the business of biological field crop products that reach... Read More
This column is long overdue. It should have been written shortly after Trudeau announced plans for a mandatory national price on carbon emissions during harvest in early October. Or even earlier, when some provincial governments started announcing their carbon tax or cap and trade programs. For all the time that's passed and words that have... Read More