As Canada navigates a period of economic uncertainty, attention is increasingly turning to trade policy, investment decisions, and the upcoming CUSMA review. While concerns about inflation and slowing growth remain, the bigger question may be whether businesses have enough confidence to invest and expand. Speaking with RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney at the FCC Horizon event last... Read More
Category: Economics
Not only is the Canadian government's new national food security strategy "the largest single investment" in the agriculture department's history, it should serve as a platform for driving much-needed changes around agriculture in the federal government, according to the federal agriculture minister. A day after standing alongside Prime Minister Carney at the Ontario Food Terminal... Read More
In episode 59 of the Truth About Ag podcast, Kristjan Hebert and Evan Shout take a timely look at the decisions, risks, and structural pressure building across Canadian agriculture. They discuss the real-time decisions farmers are facing around seeding, canola acres, crop insurance, market risk, and the cost of pushing through difficult conditions. The episode... Read More
Higher interest rates, tighter margins, and questions around land values have many farmers wondering if another 1980s-style farm crisis could be ahead. In this episode of Mind Your Farm Business, host Shaun Haney is joined by Evan Shout of Farmer Coach and Maverick Ag to compare today’s farm financial picture to the conditions leading into... Read More
The chill in the North American agricultural economy is being felt acutely on dealership lots this spring. According to data released by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), March 2026 saw a significant pullback in tractor and combine sales as producers grapple with tightening margins and a cautious capital environment. According to the AEM data,... Read More
What are the economics of managing aphanomyces root rot in pulse crops? The answer can vary widely depending on disease pressure, field conditions, and crop history, but the disease can have significant implications for peas and lentils when conditions favour its development. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Pulse School, Kevin Auch, director and past chair... Read More
The rate at which grain farming costs have escalated over the last five years is more than double Canada’s overall inflation rate, according to analysis looking at Manitoba farmers' costs. Both the Bank of Canada's inflation calculator and Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index gauge inflation from 2020 to 2025 at around 20 per cent. However,... Read More
Grain and oilseed markets are entering 2026 under a cloud of uncertainty, marked by hesitant demand and stable supply expectations. According to Neil Townsend of GrainFox, the dominant theme leading us into this new year is “lower for longer,” as both sides of the market struggle to generate upward momentum. Townsend points to stagnating biofuel... Read More
Canada’s economic outlook for 2026 is facing increasing headwinds, according to a new report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Despite low inflation and stable interest rates, structural challenges—not just cyclical slowdowns—are weighing on growth expectations. Krishen Rangasamy, principal economist with FCC, shared insights from the organization's macroeconomic outlook, highlighting key risks for Canadian producers and... Read More
"It's literally costing me money now to seed canola... $200,000 that...[we] lost off of our canola, just like that, just due to the tariffs." This is the message that Christi Friesen of Rebellion Farms based out of Brownvale, Alta., wanted to get across to Premiere Danielle Smith in a recent post on X (see below).... Read More