Not only is there a wide gap between internet speeds in rural versus urban parts of Canada, but the gap has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to data shared by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). In the month of April, the median download speed for rural Canadians was 3.78 Mbps, compared with... Read More
Category: Farm Management
The federal government has committed to investing up to $9.2 million to fund up to 700 new positions for young people in the agriculture industry through its Youth Employment and Skills Program. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau made the announcement on Tuesday. "During this unprecedented time, our food producers are working hard to feed Canada, while... Read More
Which crop has the biggest price upside? Where will canola acres land? Do I really need to know my cost of production? Brian Voth, transplanted Manitoban and president of IntelliFarm Inc., is our latest RealAg LIVE! guest, and he fielded all sorts of questions. (Check out the full video/discussion below) Let's start with canola! And... Read More
Markus Haerle, chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, says the producer group's recent social media and radio campaign is aimed at getting the federal government's attention and at pushing Ottawa to quit stalling on making improvements to business risk management tools, so that these programs can address shortfalls and challenges in the industry. Reaction... Read More
The federal government is tweaking the eligibility criteria to help more businesses access the $40,000 interest-free Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan. Unrolled earlier this spring as part of its COVID-19 relief measures, the government says up to $10,000 of the loan will be forgiven if the rest of the principle is repaid by the... Read More
Farm Management Canada, in conjunction with the Wilton Consulting Group, has released a comprehensive report looking at not only stress and mental wellness within the farming sector, but also the impact mental health has on the business side of farming. In the report entitled Healthy Minds Healthy Farms, most farmers reported "undesirable coping mechanisms that... Read More
The Canadian government has opened up the application process for a pilot program to give temporary foreign workers who work in year-round roles in the agriculture industry a pathway to permanent residency. The three-year Agri-Food Immigration Pilot program, originally announced in July 2019, is aimed at helping employers in meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production,... Read More
Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister David Marit has announced $10 million in funding to help livestock producers manage the impacts of COVID-19 related market disruptions. $5 million will go towards Saskatchewan's share of the costs associated with participation in the national AgriRecovery set-aside program announced by the federal government May 5. The federal government is covering 60%... Read More
The federal government is providing $100 million to Farm Credit Canada (FCC) to administer an Agriculture and Food Business Solutions Fund. The fund is targeted at "proven, viable companies through unexpected business disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic," and will support enterprises in the agribusiness and agri-food sector, including companies involved in primary production, agri-tech,... Read More
A recently announced wage top-up program could apply to farm and food industry workers, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the $3 billion in funding "to increase the wages of low-income essential workers" late last week, and a press release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) says that provinces and... Read More