The CWBs latest attempt to rally support and gain a hearing is an ad campaign designed under the name "stop the steamroller". The print, radio and video campaign focuses on a steamroller with the caption " This is how the Harper government harvests Canadian wheat". The ads, paid for by CWB pool funds, were... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Just when you think you know someone. Open the paper yesterday and it appears that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered up the supply management industry in negotiations to allow Canada to be apart of the TPP. I made several calls to members involved with the dairy lobby and trade and the feelings are strongly... Read More
Earlier this week we spoke to Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz about why he thinks the elimination of the single desk will be beneficial to farmers and why he is so passionate about that position. Not everyone shares the exuberance Minister Ritz has over the new marketing landscape for wheat in Western Canada. One of... Read More
Are you having trouble looking down the line at the canola markets? You're not alone. There are a number of sources sending mixed signals to producers. On one hand when we look at the charts, we see that the January-March futures indicate a strong sell (according to Barchart). On the other hand we see fundamentals... Read More
Understanding the cattle market right now can be a real head-scratcher if you don't know what to pay attention to. Trying to determine the factors influencing the wild market swings is like chasing the wind. There are a number of outside factors all exerting some kind of influence from unstable overseas markets to inside bids... Read More
Yesterday I attended a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon. This was not just any ordinary lunch because it was attended by the Calgary ag-business community and they were all there to listen to the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz. Mr. Ritz spoke to the group about why he feels so strongly regarding the coming... Read More
Once your corn is in storage, the story isn't over. There are still some aspects that need controlling and monitoring in order to maintain the value and quality of your crop. Conditioning your corn isn't as simple as turning on the fan. Proper airflow is essential to even and effective aeration of your crop. Anything... Read More
It looks as though Japan may consider easing restrictions on Canadian beef imports, as the first of many high level meetings have taken place in Tokyo. The meeting which took place last week inside the Japanese ministry of health and was focused on changing the age limit for domestic testing and import of cattle from... Read More
Ethanol has been the subject of scrutiny regarding a number of issues, from its impact on corn prices to its effect on food production even its impact on the cattle and hog industries. The Conference Board of Canada released this week the results from its look at the industry. The report focuses on the impact... Read More
When the initial court challenge by the Canadian Wheat Board was launched against the federal government you knew it wouldn't go unanswered. The first of those legal responses was launched this week by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association. The reasoning behind it stems from the CWB's use of pool funds to launch their suit... Read More