A new report produced by Canada’s Grain Monitoring Program suggests that fewer than 4,800 cars of western Canadian grain — less than one percent of the country’s total grain movements — were moved under Ottawa’s extended railway interswitching provisions in 2015-16. The report also suggests that only 13 licensed elevators in Western Canada used the […] Read more
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Extended interswitching not well used by shippers: report
NDP campaign focuses on ‘Grow B.C., Feed B.C., buy B.C.’
SUMMERLAND, B.C. — Success in agriculture for the British Columbia NDP hinges largely on convincing the province’s residents to buy local. “We need to help people understand that choosing fruits and vegetables that are grown at home keep our farmers on the land,” said Colleen Ross, NDP candidate for the May 9 provincial election in […] Read more
New AFSC board named
Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp., the provincial body that administers crop insurance and disaster assistance funding, has a new board of directors that has already started work. Alberta Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier announced the new board April 27. Jennifer Wood, a professional agrologist and cattle rancher in the Edmonton region, was appointed chair. Joining her […] Read more
Carbon sequestration has limits
Scientists understand the theory of carbon sequestration, but transferring that information to farmers around the world is the bigger challenge. Pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and putting it into the soil adds fertility and better water holding capacity, but there are limits, scientists said April 24 during an international carbon sequestration webinar. “There is […] Read more
Cheese importer weighs in on quotas
DRESDEN, Ont. — As a long-time cheese importer, Pat Pelliccione hopes to have a share of the in-crease in tariff-free cheese coming from the European Union. More than 17 million kilograms will be allowed under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU, to be phased in over six years. Pelliccione said […] Read more
Feedlot head tax ruled legal
A per-animal-unit tax imposed primarily on cattle feedlots by Lethbridge County has been deemed legal in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and has opened the door to similar tax levies across the province. It has also raised questions among feedlot owners about the future of their operations and the cattle feeding industry in the county, […] Read more
Environmental ag research programs get federal funding
Twenty new research projects across Canada, involving climate change mitigation, soil and water conservation, will have access to $27 million over five years from the federal agriculture department. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced the funds April 21 at the University of Alberta. The funds are held within the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program (AGGP), which aims […] Read more
Farmers await Churchill sale, but 2017 season in jeopardy
Grain shippers in northeastern Saskatchewan and northwestern Manitoba are still hopeful that some grain will be moved through the Port of Churchill this year. But time is running short, says the president of the Hudson Bay Route Association. If a deal to sell the port and the Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) is not reached quickly, […] Read more
Maple Leaf sees higher profits
(Reuters) — Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, driven by increased retail sales in Canada and higher exports. The company, whose brands include Schneiders and namesake Maple Leaf, said adjusted operating earnings rose 10 percent to $59 million in the first quarter, which ended March 31. Maple Leaf, which is Canada’s biggest […] Read more
Farmers stay on top of debt
Farm debt continues to climb, but federal officials say assets are climbing much faster. Tom Rosser, assistant deputy minister with Agriculture Canada’s strategic policy branch, told the House of Commons agriculture committee last month that average debt in 2015 was $600,000, but average farm assets were $3.4 million for an average net worth of $2.8 […] Read more
