House committee hears witnesses in study of private member’s bill that would exempt grain drying from carbon tax
The House of Commons agriculture committee was set to conduct clause-by-clause consideration of a private member’s bill to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act on May 11. The committee has been hearing witnesses on C-206, introduced by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence, since early March. The bill intends to provide an exemption for propane and […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Losses to new ASF wave may be 30 percent
Pig density, poor biosecurity and ineffective control are thought to be behind sustained waves of the disease in China
China’s hog sector is in its third wave of African swine fever primarily due to a mutated strain of the virus, says an international swine management consultant. Todd Thurman, who owns SwineTex Consulting Services and typically spends about half his year in China, said the mutated virus is less deadly but harder to identify. “Most […] Read more
Work to begin soon on fertilizer facility
Construction is underway on a farmer-owned fertilizer storage and distribution facility at Belle Plaine, Sask. Genesis Grain and Fertilizer is building a supercentre in the industrial corridor between Regina and Moose Jaw that is already home to fertilizer, potash, ethanol and salt production. More than 650 farmer-investors own the project that has taken years to […] Read more
Sask. chooses international trade office sites
Saskatchewan has announced the locations of four new trade offices promised in the recent budget. The offices are expected to open later this year in London, Dubai, Mexico and Vietnam. Trade and export development minister Jeremy Harrison said he has been working with officials from those countries who are on the ground in Canada. He […] Read more
Farm girl shoots ag videos to educate classmates
A nine-year-old Saskatchewan girl is drawing praise and thousands of Twitter views for her videos about farming. Mady Adamson, who is in Grade 3 in Kindersley, said she realized her classmates didn’t understand much about farming so she decided to make her own short videos to help educate them. “The discussion of agriculture got brought […] Read more
Sodium sulfate plant expands into fertilizer
Construction of a $220-million expansion at Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals Inc. at Chaplin is slated to begin later this year. The expansion is expected to be complete in late 2023 and will allow the sodium sulfate plant to produce 150,000 tonnes of sulfate potash fertilizer, or SOP, each year. This is a new product for […] Read more
Pulse initiative aids Sask. food bank
Several Regina-based businesses have come together to provide more nutritious choices to food insecure families. Viterra, Canmar Food Products and Conexus Credit Union are collaborating on the Viterra Farmers Feeding Families initiative launched May 5. Viterra will spend $225,000 to buy pulses from Saskatchewan farmers. Canmar will then package the pulses into more than 200,000 […] Read more
Budget called crucial for pushing ag agenda
Speakers at recent webinar say governments must do more to put agriculture at the centre of a national growth strategy
A former deputy prime minister says Canada should regain its place as a global agricultural superpower. Anne McLellan, former Edmonton MP who served in the governments of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, said during a webinar held by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute that the recent budget is based on Dominic Barton’s 2016 report that […] Read more
Gov’t urged to do more to help producers reduce emissions
Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in Canada are projected to rise by 2030 and that should concern the entire sector, said both an economist and a farmer/climate scientist during a post-federal budget webinar. The budget allocated $270 million to agricultural initiatives that can also serve as climate solutions. Karen Ross, director of Farmers for Climate Solutions, […] Read more
Farm group sets priorities for carbon policy
The coalition of 14 farm organizations that want a greater conversation with the government about carbon has released its three main priorities. The Agriculture Carbon Alliance says Ottawa has to implement on-farm exemptions for natural gas and propane used to dry grain, irrigate, and heat and cool barns and greenhouses, recognize past practices in carbon […] Read more
