Bob and Jan retired when they were 67 and 65 years old, after turning over the farm to their eldest son. They had a sound house and a big, beautiful yard that they both enjoyed working in. They were involved in the community and close friends with most of their neighbours. And their son and […] Read more
News
Communication key to smooth estate transition
Carbon policies spur ag sector to form bio-sector coalition
Federal and provincial carbon pricing policies, current and pending, have prompted more than 75 agriculture industry leaders and organizations to plan a “bio-offset hub” designed to lead the way on biological emissions reductions. The Coalition on Offset Solutions has members from crop and livestock groups, as well as agribusiness, government, non-government organizations, universities and First […] Read more
Canadian pulse officials hope for extension in India fumigation dispute
Canada has two important things going for it when it comes to resolving the pulse import issue with India, say federal officials. The pest that most concerns India isn’t found in Canada, they said, which negates the need for fumigation. And, Canada’s systems approach to grain handling and storage mitigates the risks that pests would […] Read more
Biodiversity 53 percent intact on Alta. prairie
Flora, fauna and wetlands are monitored in the grassland and parkland region to determine the health and biodiversity of the landscape
PINCHER CREEK, Alta. — About 63 percent of land in Alberta’s prairie region, which is most of the area south of the North Saskatchewan River, has a human footprint. That means it has been affected by human activity that permanently changed the landscape. It’s a big number, said Kurt Illerbrun, communications adviser with the Alberta […] Read moreBank of Canada holds rates steady
OTTAWA (Reuters) — The Bank of Canada last week bumped up growth forecasts but argued it was too early to conclude Canada’s economy is on a sustainable growth path. It held interest rates steady. Governor Stephen Poloz warned any changes to U.S. trade policy and protectionist measures under President Donald Trump would be negative for […] Read more
Consumers’ craving for butterfat leaves glut of skim milk
The breadth of the yogurt selections in grocery stores is one indication of Canadians’ increasing appetite for butterfat. So is a change in the type of milk that shoppers now prefer. Dairy quota has been expanded to meet those appetites with seven percent growth since Aug. 1 of this dairy year. “We attribute it to […] Read more
Non-refundable checkoffs may return to Alberta
At least two agricultural commissions in Alberta plan to ask their members for permission to return to a non-refundable checkoff now that the provincial government has announced it will give them the right to do so. The Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act 2017, or Bill 9, which was tabled in the Alberta legislature April […] Read more
U of S ag college hit by $1.9 million budget cut
Agriculture dean says college generates up to 50 percent of the university’s research income with only seven percent of faculty
Officials at the University of Sask-atchewan are continuing to assess the impact of provincial budget cuts announced March 22. Included in the budget was a 5.6 percent reduction in provincial funding to the university’s annual operating budget allocation, the equivalent of more than $18 million a year. Those cuts will be spread out across all […] Read moreChina to map 174 million acres of key arable land as protected zones
BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China intends to map and document its most important cropland over the next three years, in an effort to ensure the country’s long-term food security. Guidelines issued by the cabinet outline plans to demarcate 174 million acres of key “grain production functional zones” and “major farm product protection zones” within the […] Read more
Green Party carbon policy points to Cuban experience
What may be the boldest and perhaps the most controversial aspect for agriculture contained in the British Columbia Green Party’s new policy platform isn’t listed under the agriculture part of the platform at all. The party’s climate change plan would progressively increase the carbon tax over four years starting in January 2018 by $10 per […] Read more
