The federal government says it will release more details this spring of a Home Energy Retrofit Initiative offering grants to Canadian homeowners who perform residential upgrades that reduce energy consumption. Officials with Natural Resources Canada say the federal retrofit initiative will offer as many as 700,000 grants to Canadian homeowners, each worth as much as […] Read more
Author Archives
Farmers closer to carbon tax relief, but not for heating fuel
Carbon tax relief may be coming soon for Canadian farmers who use propane or natural gas to dry grain. But it remains to be seen if that relief will also be extended to grain farmers and livestock producers who use propane and natural gas to heat barns and other essential farm buildings. Last month, Bill […] Read more
Hiking canola yields starts with plant density
Seeding rate and survivability are the two factors growers must pay attention to when working to maximize production
Canadian farmers are expected to increase canola plantings by 4.4 percent this spring, according to Agriculture Canada’s latest Outlook for Principal Field Crops report. Amid tightening domestic supplies and record prices for near-term futures contracts, 2021-22 canola plantings are forecast to jump to nearly 22 million acres this spring and total production is expected to […] Read more
Report paints agriculture as part of climate change solution
An Ontario research organization says Canada’s policies have failed to capitalize on important opportunities in agriculture, placing the country’s producers at risk of falling behind those in other food-exporting nations. A new report from Agri-Food Economic Systems says the Canadian agri-food sector “remains isolated as a remote priority of Canada’s overall policy agenda” and calls […] Read more
Seed royalty settlement largest ever reached
Alberta farm accused of infringing on three companies’ plant breeders rights agrees to pay $738,000 to settle case
An unnamed farming operation from southern Alberta has agreed to pay a penalty of nearly $738,000 in what is being billed as the largest plant breeders rights infringement settlement ever reached in Canada. The settlement was reached after the farming operation conceded to making unauthorized advertisements and illegal sales of PBR-protected wheat and barley varieties […] Read more
Alta. straw plant site selected
An Alberta company that plans to build an $800 million straw-based medium density fibreboard production plant has chosen a site for its facilities. Great Plains MDF says its new site will be located near Equity, Alta., between Three Hills and Trochu. The new production complex and straw storage facilities will be housed on three quarter […] Read more
Pedigreed seed supply looks in great shape
Western Canada’s pedigreed seed growers harvested what looks to be a high-quality seed crop last fall with generally good germination and vigour scores and few disease concerns, lab analysts said last week. During a recent Seed Talk Series event hosted by the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association, seed analysts from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta said the […] Read more
Grain drying relief moving forward
Despite voting against a new law to exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon tax, the federal government says relief for grain drying is coming. On Feb. 25, Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel), got a step closer to becoming law after receiving second reading and […] Read more
AWC expands cash advance program
The Alberta Wheat Commission is expanding its FarmCash advance payments program. Beginning March 15, the program will be offered to growers in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as those in Alberta. “AWC strongly believes that all western Canadian agricultural producers can benefit from the fast and efficient service that FarmCash provides,” said AWC […] Read more
Lines put forward for registration
CDC and Agriculture Canada unveil lines to be introduced at this week’s meetings held by the Prairie Grain Development Committee
Last year’s COVID-related restrictions challenged plant breeders across the West. Nonetheless, pedigreed seed growers and commercial grain growers will have access to new and improved plant varieties. In a Seed Talk Series presentation hosted by the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association (SSGA) on Feb. 11, seed growers and grain farmers learned that numerous new crop lines […] Read more
