When I ask farm families to list what they value most, “family” usually makes it into the top three positions, if not the top. However, mixing family and business can be tricky. It can be a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because the support of family can help individuals and the business […] Read more
Ag Finance
Separating family, business priorities creates challenges
Belarus to cut the price of 2014 potash exports
MINSK (Reuters) — Belarus plans to cut the price of potash exports to $300 a tonne in 2014, the economy ministry said, adding to pressure on global prices for the soil nutrient already hit by the breakup of its joint venture with Russia. Belarus’ sales alliance with Russian producer Uralkali fell apart in July, causing […] Read more
Non traditional sales swells revenue at Alliance Grain
Increased purchases of pulses from India and Turkey during a non-traditional period have helped boost earnings at Alliance Grain Traders, says the president and CEO of Alliance Grain Trader. On Monday, the company announced revenue of $246.7 million for the second quarter of 2013 — a period ending in June — up 22 percent from […] Read more
COOL battles heat up in U.S. court
The battle over mandatory country of origin labelling is heating up as American attorneys filed a late motion Aug. 9 asking a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to refuse to issue an order that would block implementation of COOL regulations. The judge set Aug. 27 to hear oral arguments on the motion to block […] Read more
EU farm payments an omen for Canada?
Reforms to the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy could have reverberations in Canada, says a farm leader. The European Parliament, the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission recently reached an agreement on setting a new direction for a policy that accounted for 43 percent of the EU’s budget in 2011. “What’s of interest […] Read more
FCC reports strong performance in annual report
Farm Credit Canada, the Regina-based federal crown corporation and largest Canadian farm lender, has reported net income of more than half a billion dollars for the last fiscal year. The money will divided between a dividend to the federal government and reinvestment in the corporation. The corporation’s strong performance reflects an income and asset boom […] Read more
Maple Leaf Foods shares plunge after surprising loss
May 2 (Reuters) – Shares of Canadian food processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. dove eight percent on Thursday after it reported a surprising quarterly loss on lower meat sales. The Toronto-based company had expected a volatile first half, but conditions have been more difficult than it expected, chief executive Michael McCain said. Meat volumes were […] Read more
Crop insurance deadline looms for Alberta farmers
April 30 is the deadline for Alberta farmers to apply for crop insurance through Agriculture Financial Services Corp. A number of options are available, including a spring price endorsement rider that compensates farmers if prices drop 10 to 50 percent between spring and fall on harvested crops. A variable price benefit insures farmers at the […] Read more
Pulse processor earnings down due to lower margins
Poor margins in the pea, lentil and bean processing business hurt the financial results for one of Canada’s leading special crops processors. Legumex Walker Inc. posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $1.5 million on 2012 sales of $295 million. “We can do significantly better than that and our hope is that […] Read more
Grain farmers face skilled labour shortage
Grain farmers be warned. The shortage of skilled labour being felt by other sectors is working its way into the grain industry. “It isn’t just about horticulture and intensive operations like fruit and vegetables in Ontario,” Don Connick, a Gull Lake, Sask., crop and livestock producer, said during the recent annual Canadian Agricultural Human Resources […] Read more
