Private companies forced to spend money setting up co-operatives now that federal tax legislation favours grain sales to co-ops
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — U.S. agricultural merchants are scrambling to register themselves as co-operatives after a blunder in the country’s new tax law gave farmers a tax break for selling grain to co-ops rather than private firms. Private crop handlers such as Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge Ltd., Cargill Inc. and Louis Dreyfus fear they […] Read moreNews
U.S. grain firms cope with co-op tax law
Sunflowers remain steady
WINNIPEG (CNS) — The Manitoba sunflower market is holding steady for the time being, with acres likely unchanged on the year. Actual acreage in the spring will likely depend on snowfall between now and April. “The market is moving sideways, with nothing dramatic at this stage to say if it’s moving up or down,” said […] Read more
Proposed food labels concern sugar beet, dairy folks
Health Canada is seeking public input on front-of-package information about sodium, sugar and saturated fats
The idea for a stop sign on food labels that warns people about sugar-containing products has itself been put to a stop, but Alberta Sugar Beet Growers remain concerned about Health Canada’s proposals for front-of-package labelling. The federal agency has proposed four different formats to label foods that contain high levels of sodium, saturated fats […] Read moreSaskatchewan insurance premiums now PST-free
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has made good on his campaign commitment to reinstate the PST exemption on insurance premiums. Effective Feb. 26, premiums for agriculture, life and health insurance will no longer be subject to the provincial sales tax. The move is retroactive to Aug. 1, 2017, when the tax was first applied. Crop, livestock […] Read more
Farmers need to be shown the value in smart-farming tools
Most farmers recognize the need for new farm technology, but understanding how to monetize it is another story. The smart farming era is changing the industry via the use of digitally gathered data, robots, sensors, software and most importantly, network connectivity. Yet on a wider perspective, smart farming still has a long way to go […] Read more
Feedlots look for cheaper options
WINNIPEG (CNS) — As supplies tighten, Lethbridge feedlot operators are looking for cheaper options when it comes to feed. “Supply seems to be tight in general. There’s not a lot of offers on either corn or barley at the moment. And demand is higher than expected coming into March,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager at […] Read more
U.K. farmers warned against feeding table scraps to pigs
Pig farmers in the United Kingdom have been warned not to feed kitchen scraps to their animals due to a risk of them catching African swine fever. The disease is spreading across eastern and central Europe, prompting government veterinarians to voice concerns. African swine fever has never been detected in the U.K., but if it […] Read more
Urea prices riseas imports shrink
The world’s largest urea exporter has backed out of the market in a dramatic fashion, and that is supporting prices, says CF Industries. China exported 4.7 million tonnes of the product in 2017, which is down 65 percent from the 13 million tonnes it shipped in 2015. “The removal of more than eight million metric […] Read more
Integrated approach supports canola acres
Prairie farmers don’t need to push their rotations to get to 26 million tonnes of production, a Canola Council of Canada staffer reminded farmers at CropConnect. Reasonable rotations are a key part of the combination of factors that the council hopes will take Canada to its lofty production goal for 2025. “We’ve surpassed our acreage […] Read more
Ag Notes
Habitat set aside As part of World Wetland Day on Feb. 2, the Nature Conservancy of Canada announced it has bought 160 acres of wetland and forest habitat two kilometres north of Good Spirit Provincial Park in Saskatchewan. The habitat on the property and in the surrounding area is important for waterfowl, black bear, elk […] Read more
