The head of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is accusing the union that represents food inspectors of "unnecessarily undermining Canadians' confidence in their food safety system." The Agriculture Union issued a news release this week saying cost-cutting within the CFIA is creating an inspector shortage that is putting Canadians' health at risk. As an example,... Read More
Category: Western Canada
We’ve all seen it. The gentle rancher who turns Hyde in the face of cattle handling. Sticks or prods come out, and everyone prepares for the yelling that will follow. But what if that rancher could just be his or her gentle self even when working cattle? This past winter, I’ve had the pleasure of... Read More
From record cattle prices to winter wheat conditions to cash advance program changes — here’s the latest “This Week on Real Ag” podcast hosted by Kelvin Heppner: The TWORA podcast is recorded every Thursday. You can find past episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
The room was abuzz with the energy of high cattle prices, an informative day of sessions, and the opportunity to dress up for a night of entertainment. There was a white tablecloth, food heaped onto my plate, the offer of an array of drinks a short stroll away, and a group of quasi-strangers set to... Read More
Nobody wants to be stuck with a crop that suddenly has no market, especially when it’s due to avoidable circumstances. While Canada’s regulatory process and international trade policies are designed to prevent situations where residues from pesticides and other tools used to grow crops become trade obstacles, each farmer must still carry out their own... Read More
Monsanto has announced $4 million in funding to protect monarch butterfly populations, mainly through the restoration of milkweed habitat in North America. The company on Tuesday committed $3.6 million over three years to the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as $400 thousand in funding for universities and non-profit organizations involved in monarch... Read More
After months of anticipation, the grain and oilseed market finally got to see the U.S.D.A.’s acreage estimates for 2015 on Tuesday morning. While traders had braced themselves for some surprises and volatility, most of the numbers in both the Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks reports fell within the range of expectations. However, the numbers... Read More
It's looking more and more like spring in Western Canada, and cattle prices are continuing to impress with seasonal demand, tight supplies and an American dollar hovering around $0.80. In this, the latest episode of the Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko, with Gateway Livestock, talks to RealAgriculture's Lyndsey Smith about prices across the border and... Read More