WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) – At a closed-door meeting at the White House on Aug. 19, President Donald Trump looked increasingly alarmed as his top envoy to China delivered evidence of rising Farm Belt frustration over his biofuel policy along with a stark warning: You’ve got a problem in Iowa. Terry Branstad, the former […] Read more
News
Trump in high-stakes balancing act between oil and corn
Biofuel plan faces backlash by U.S. ag groups
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – U.S. agricultural trade groups on Friday told the Trump administration a proposed biofuel reform package falls short of expectations, four sources familiar with discussions said, complicating plans the administration had for presenting the proposal to President Donald Trump. Trump was expected to meet with Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture officials on […] Read more
Panel report wants Alta. rural municipalities to shoulder more capital costs
Rural Municipalities of Alberta says even though it understands it needs to help the province deal with the deficit, towns and counties have already been taking on a larger share of costs
Alberta’s rural municipality group is hoping to sit down with the province to discuss spending after it was recommended that towns and counties shoulder more building costs. Al Kemmere, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said even though towns and counties acknowledged they need to help the province deal with the deficit, they have […] Read more
Farmers urged to add their voice to seed royalty survey
General farm organizations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are encouraging Western Canadian grain farmers to take a few minutes away from the combine this fall and express their opinions on the controversial topic of seed royalties. Agricultural producers have until Oct, 15 to share their views on proposed changes to seed royalty structures for cereal […] Read more
Canada taking first formal step at WTO to challenge China’s canola ban
OTTAWA, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Canada, locked in a major dispute with Beijing, is taking the first formal step at the World Trade Organization to challenge China’s decision to block Canadian canola exports, Trade Minister Jim Carr said on Friday. China, angry at Canada’s detention of a top Huawei Technologies Co Ltd executive last year […] Read more
Canola futures drop for 3rd day
WINNIPEG (MarketsFarm) – Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Futures canola contracts were weaker Thursday, for a third consecutive day as the losses on the Chicago soy complex and the Prairie harvest weighed on values. The Canadian dollar also provided pressure as the loonie was up by more than a tenth of a cent by mid-afternoon Thursday at […] Read more
Pulses sneaking way into India
India is buying more Canadian peas and lentils than official export statistics suggest, say market analysts. Sales to surrounding countries have exploded and some of that product is flowing into India illegally. Bangladesh bought 452,797 tonnes of Canadian peas in the first half 2019, nearly double what it imported during the entirety of 2018. Chuck […] Read more
Statistics confirm 9% drop in canola tonnes
Statistics Canada has confirmed what most farmers already know – Canada will produce significantly less canola in 2019. Prairie growers are expected to produce 18.5 million tonnes of canola this year, down 9.3 percent from 20.3 million tonnes in 2018, StatCan said in a production report released in late August. What is new, is that […] Read more
Improper sale of seized cattle sparks procedural change
Some cattle seized under animal protection laws in Saskatchewan last winter were sold in error. According to Livestock Services of Saskatchewan, which conducts brand inspections, three owners will be compensated after their animals were sold along with those owned by the person from whom they were seized. President Jason Pollock said a complex ownership structure […] Read more
Hog barn ban less of an issue this election
None of Manitoba’s main political parties is threatening to reimpose the infamous hog barn moratorium. That moratorium, begun in the Red River Valley in 2007 and then extended across the province, initiated a contraction in both hog farming and pork processing in Manitoba. “We’ll definitely look at options for expansion,” NDP Selkirk candidate Mitch Obach, […] Read more
