National plan | Committee says report was given to the federal government, but has not seen any response
Little has happened since the agriculture sector released a report last fall on the labour crisis that has hit meat processors, feedlot operators and others in industry. A task force, comprising 11 advisory panels and a number of commodity groups and food processors, published a national plan called Addressing Labour Shortages in the Agriculture and […] Read moreNews
Ag sector fears lack of action on labour front
Resistance to B.t. corn growing in U.S.
(Reuters) — Armyworms are beginning to show increasing resistance to B.t. corn. Fangneng Huang, an entomologist at Louisiana State University and lead researcher for a three-year study, called the evolution of insect resistance “ a great threat” to the long-term sustainability of genetic modification, which has become a highly valued tool for many U.S. farmers. […] Read more
Chicken farmers gain quota under new deal
Chicken Farmers of Canada has signed a new 10 year quota allocation agreement to increase production across the country. All member provinces will receive more quota, but provinces with fast growing populations, particularly Alberta and Ontario, could get more. A tentative agreement was reached last summer and the provinces were allowed to increase production at […] Read more
Reap profits from info, say data providers
Data generated by farm equipment and technology such as field mapping and yield and input monitoring systems can help farmers boost profits. That issue was the focus of a lot of discussion at both the Agri Innovation Forum and the Agricultural Excellence Conference Nov. 19-21. “Data. Jeez, something you haven’t heard about,” Agri-Trend founder Rob […] Read more
Size isn’t always the answer: One Earth
Fixing flaws at ground level | New leader says farm proves big doesn’t guarantee profits
Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to grain farming, says the head of a company that used to bill itself as the largest farm in Canada. Mike Beretta, chief executive officer of One Earth Farms, says the business model is far more important than the scope of a company. He said One Earth Farms […] Read moreCropLife calls nurse, doctor neonic push misleading
Brain development | Nurses’ organization says public can’t wait for definitive evidence and wants herbicide moratorium
CropLife Canada says nurses and doctors in Ontario are “blatantly misleading the public” when it comes to the safety of neonicotinoids. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) issued a statement last week claiming that neonicotinoid insecticides may cause brain damage in children. The groups […] Read moreAlta. premier hopes to rebuild relationship with landowners
Alberta premier Jim Prentice made property rights the focus of his first bill in the new sitting of the legislature. Bill 1, which has passed second reading, would repeal the controversial Land Assembly Project Area Act, otherwise known as Bill 19, which was enacted in 2009, amended in 2011 and never proclaimed. The legislation would […] Read more
Roundup Ready alfalfa trials not heading West
BROMONT, Que. — Farmers who are participating in Roundup Ready alfalfa trials in Canada have been positive about their experience, says an official with the rights to the perennial crop in Canada. “Many of them have asked if it is going to be for sale because they would like to buy some,” said Michael Peterson, […] Read more
Forage association raises profile, but insecure funding an issue
BROMONT, Que. — Building the profile of forages and grasslands has been easy compared to raising money to fund the sector’s national organization. The Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association will have about $3,000 in the bank by the end of the year. Higher than expected costs to promote forages and the end of funding agreements […] Read more
Allergies among factors cited for dip in milk consumption
Dairy producers want to know why fewer people are drinking milk. A glass a day was common 20 years ago in Great Britain, Canada and the United States, but all have seen fluid consumption fall 25 percent for that period, says Richard Sanchez of Dairy Farmers of Canada. Instead, consumers are switching to alternatives such […] Read more
