The use of drones for spraying cleared a major regulatory milestone last summer, as Transport Canada issued its first approval for commercial spraying with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to the Elie, Manitoba-based company that received the permission. To fly any aircraft — manned or unmanned — for commercial purposes in Canada, you must... Read More

As the Bank of Canada raised its target interest rate a 1/4 point this week, there is disagreement in how the Canadian economy will fare in 2018. While one or two more rate hikes are expected in 2018, there are also concerns on the horizon for the Canadian economy. As we hear from Farm Credit... Read More

India's government made no attempt to veil the reason for imposing tariffs on pulse crop imports in late 2017. "Cheap imports, if allowed unabated, are likely to adversely affect the interest of the farmers,” said a statement from the Indian government, announcing the 30 percent import duty on lentils and chickpeas in December. The tariffs... Read More

Another week, another farm show for the RealAgriculture team. This week we were in Brandon, Manitoba for Ag Days and it was a fun-filled three days. Here are some of our observations or take-aways: There seems to be more optimism in Manitoba than Saskatchewan last week, mainly due to two reasons: First, Manitoba is not... Read More

As growers look ahead to seeding, it seems every single cropping option has pricing issues, but there also opportunities to look for. Supply has been a challenge for wheat and corn while soybeans and canola have benefited from strong demand that has assisted in creeping acres higher. READ: 7 Deadly Sins of Grain Marketing Shaun... Read More

The Canola Council of Canada is moving on without a core funder for 2018, as Richardson International went public with its withdrawal from the national canola industry group this week. Richardson has said it did not receive enough value to justify its investment in the Canola Council, after pushing for changes to the council over... Read More

It's been a great start to Manitoba Ag Days, as it celebrates its 41st anniversary. This year, the show features over 550 exhibitors and 63 speakers over 540,000 square feet of show space. But it wasn't always this size. "The show actually started as a weed fair, and it was...just 38 exhibitors," says general manager... Read More

Kubota's fully autonomous tractor is offering Japanese agriculture an innovative solution to the challenges of an aging demographic. "Really we've been developing this technology for the local market in view of the fact that in Japan, much of the farming population is aging, and we're starting to see some labour shortages," says Kubota's Mel McGlinchey.... Read More