This week the Ontario government passed Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act. Among other changes to workplace laws, it will mean an increase in the province's minimum wage, from $11.60 to $14 on January 1, and $15 on the same day in 2019. With other provinces potentially following suit, the potential impacts are... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Cattle markets have dropped off their highs from a few weeks ago, but they're still well ahead of where they were last year at this time. The February live cattle contract, for example, is up 28 percent in the last year. "We've had solid markets all the way around," says Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock... Read More
China's insatiable appetite for soybeans will continue to provide support for the oilseed crop through the next year. It will also be the catalyst for soybean acreage to surpass corn for the first time in 2018, says Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions. He shared his oilseed outlook during a panel discussion at the... Read More
The Canola Council of Canada is reviewing all the services and programs it offers, including staffing, as it prepares for a significant budget cut and restructuring in 2018. At least two large grain company and processor members are not willing to maintain their current funding for the council. Both companies that sources say are pushing... Read More
Construction of Manitoba's new pea processing plant at Portage la Prairie is on schedule for its planned 2019 startup. John Buch, grain department manager for French food ingredient company Roquette, builders of the plant, shared the news at the Grain World conference in Winnipeg, Man. When the plant opens, Roquette will have pea processing capacity... Read More
There are 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the United States and somewhere around 300,000 in Canada. What does their future hold with recent developments in autonomous or robotic technology? We've talked about the autonomous semi truck Otto delivering beer and appliances in the past. Last week, we saw Tesla unveil its electric semi truck... Read More
As round five of the NAFTA talks comes to a close in Mexico, it seems that the negotiating logjam is unchanged, at least on the surface. This round held did not include ministers, so it was more technical in nature, which created the opportunity for details. It sounds like Canada and Mexico have changed their... Read More
With taxation troubles, trade missteps and realigning political forces across Canada’s political landscape, it appears Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s love-in with Canadians is drawing to a close. That’s the view National Post columnist Andrew Coyne shared with 500 delegates attending the Grain World conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba last week. Trudeau has had a couple of... Read More
Yield potential will always be king, but there are many considerations for farmers at variety selection time. With blackleg and clubroot diseases threatening yield, a well-rounded approach to canola genetics is key to ensuring that you have the potential to achieve the high yields you desire. As rotations have become shorter, and with threats of... Read More
Climate change will have little impact on the overall production of corn, soy and wheat as we push toward 2050, says Grainbot market analyst Kurt Ahrens. Ahrens shared his crop production vision, including potential yield growth for corn, soybean and wheat crops, with about 500 delegates attending last week’s Grain World conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.... Read More