The planet is becoming increasingly urbanized, but most of the world’s hungry continue to be rural based and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. “Despite the fact that the world is urbanizing at a frantic pace, the concentration of hunger is still predominantly a rural phenomena in many parts,” said Jim Cornelius, executive director of […] Read more
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Foodgrains bank fighting hunger by empowering farmers
Farm group wants alternative to easement agreements
Manitoba landowners hope an upcoming meeting with agriculture minister Ron Kostyshyn leads to pressure on Manitoba Hydro to treat farmers better. The Manitoba Bipole 3 Landowners Committee says it wants Hydro to stop “bullying” farmers, but it also hopes to develop a collective agreement so that all farmers will be protected in negotiations for land […] Read more
GM crop production approached 450 million acres in 2014
U.S., Brazil and Argentina are the globe’s top producers, but critic says global adoption of GM crops has slowed
Farmers around the world continue to embrace genetically modified crops, according to a recent report, but critics say it overstates the case. A record 448 million acres were planted to GM crops in 2014, up 15 million acres from the previous year, says the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). Acreage has […] Read moreFarm groups can work together
Manitoba Beef Producers isn’t telling the province’s general farm organization to stay off the cattle turf, says its general manager. “They have members who are beef producers. That’s OK if they get resolutions that pertain to the beef industry,” Melinda German said. “I don’t think it’s the role of other organizations to tell others how […] Read more
Keystone Agricultural Producers debate beef expansion
General farm group asks if it should pass its own beef resolutions independent of Manitoba Beef Producers
Manitoba’s general farm organization is struggling to define its relationship with the province’s beef sector. Keystone Agricultural Producers debated at a recent meeting whether it represents cow-calf producers on beef issues and if it should it leave that role to Manitoba Beef Producers. Questions also involved whether MBP should take the lead on cattle and […] Read moreU.S. grain farmers add debt as crop prices dip
CHICAGO (Reuters) — U.S. grain farmers are boosting demand for loans from farm banks as five-year lows in crop prices squeeze operating budgets ahead of spring planting. “Reduced profits in the crop sector persisted in the fourth quarter of 2014, leading to a sharp rise in farm-sector borrowing and a slight decline in cropland values,” […] Read more
Record grain shipments help boost CN profits
Canada’s largest railway has posted a 17 percent year-over-year increase in fourth quarter revenues and increased its quarterly dividend to shareholders by six cents per share to 31 cents. Canadian National Railway reported fourth quarter earnings of $3.2 billion during the three months ending Dec. 31, 2014, up from 2.75 billion a year earlier. It […] Read more
VIDO testing vaccines on cattle in Kenya
University of Saskatchewan researchers will soon use $5 million in funding to test the effectiveness of newly developed vaccines to protect cattle against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Kenya. Scientists from the university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization will work together over the next 40 […] Read more
Pasture patrons working with conservation organization
Nature Conservancy of Canada will pay part of the manager’s salary for the next year while it works with Lone Tree Grazing Ltd. to develop best practice guidelines for the former federal pasture. The pilot project announced last month is an investment in conservation practices, said Mark Wartman, the conservancy’s regional vice-president. “In this case, […] Read more
PotashCorp profit beats expectations
(Reuters) — PotashCorp has reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by strong potash sales and lower costs. The company’s U.S.-listed shares rose 1.3 percent premarket. PotashCorp said improving phosphate market conditions are expected to support better results this year. The company reported a quarterly profit of US49 cents per share. Potash gross margin jumped 95 […] Read more
