Farmers think about their industry being Big Iron, but it’s becoming more and more Big Cyber, and that’s where some serious production risks lie. If farmers don’t take cybersecurity seriously, they might face breakdowns that stop the Big Iron running. “Farming is very time sensitive,” said lawyer Doug Tait of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman of Winnipeg. […] Read more
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Man. cattle producers demand solutions
The plight of Manitoba’s cattle producers was put in front of the premier and cabinet last week, but no easy solutions were offered in response. “This has been a disaster for us,” Orville Proctor, who farms north of Winnipeg, said at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities annual convention in Winnipeg Nov. 27. “I know you’re […] Read more
Grinning and bearing it on NAFTA2
I doubt I’m the only Canadian not exactly celebrating the official Big Man Signing of NAFTA2, which happened this morning. After all, it’s pretty much a case of Canada and Mexico making a bunch of concessions in order to stop U.S. President Donald J Trump tearing up NAFTA entirely and leaving us in a never-ending […] Read more
Fusarium creates new challenges
The disease hasn’t stopped farmers from growing cereals, but they now demand a much higher level of profitability
Fusarium headblight has been evolving for decades as it has spread through North America’s cereal grains areas. So too have farmers, buyers and processors, as the wheat and barley markets grapple with the costs and impacts of the fungal disease. “There’s a shift away from risky crops and to crops that are not as risky,” […] Read more
Beauty of the Prairies shared with others on Instagram
Do you think the Prairies are beautiful, bold, filled with drama and almost allegorical in their starkness? Are you disappointed in the way non-prairie people, and prairie urbanites, often describe the western plains as dull, boring, something to be gotten through on the way to somewhere else? If so, you should check out the Instagram […] Read more
Capturing short-term rallies critical for profitability
The market gives and the market takes away. But for a few years it has been, and probably will continue to be for years to come, more of a taker than a giver. That means farmers must learn how to take advantage of bear market rallies. They must also learn from the oil industry, which […] Read more
Oil trouble shows risk of grain bottlenecks
You’re probably used to grain transportation constrictions costing you money and messing up your marketing plan. Don’t be too comfortable with that uncomfortable reality. It could get worse — a bunch worse. If you think 2013-14 or 1996-97 were bad, be thankful they were mostly one-year phenomena. Look over your fence line, or at the […] Read more
Bottlenecks called threat to export dream
Logistical constrictions tighten as country tries to ship more food overseas, speakers argue at Grain World conference
Western Canadian farmers have incredible potential to become the world’s suppliers of premium proteins. The region has already begun producing ever larger amounts of the crops that consumers around the planet have been clamouring for. However, bottlenecks and logistical constrictions get tighter at the same rate, and that potential might be strangled without policy, commitment, […] Read more
Canada, U.S. go in opposite trade directions
The United States is backing away from multilateral deals, while Canada continues to sign those kinds of agreements
We’re neighbours, but Canada and the United States are racing into different worlds when it comes to world trade. That became obvious from comments by leading American and Canadian trade policy experts at the Grain World conference Nov. 13. “I think there’s probably a greater chance that I will grow a full head of hair […] Read more
U.S. trade mess is Canada’s chance to gain advantage
So, what now? With the U.S. midterm elections done, we have more certainty about who has the power and influence in Washington for the next two years. Unfortunately, that doesn’t provide a lot of certainty for trade. Will the U.S. approve NAFTA2? Will the U.S. attempt to get back into the new Trans-Pacific Partnership? Most […] Read more
