SASKATOON — There is talk of another trade war brewing between the United States and China, but for now it is only rhetoric, says a trade expert. A select committee of the U.S. Congress wants to start an economic war with China and American farmers could be the first casualties. The House Select Committee on […] Read more
News
Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan
Early thinking is that federal incentives to help producers reduce cattle emissions could fit with the industry’s targets
MEDICINE HAT — Canada’s draft policy that would provide financial incentives to livestock producers to reduce methane from cattle aligns with the beef sector’s target to see those emissions reduced by a third by 2030. But how well the federal government’s proposals will merge with the sector’s efforts, which have already resulted in Canadian beef […] Read more
Carbon pricing exemption bill hits another roadblock
Supporters failed to get the bill on the House agenda before Christmas break, delaying it for at least another six weeks
REGINA — A last-ditch attempt to get Bill C-234 on the House of Commons agenda before a winter break failed Dec. 15. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis moved a motion for Parliament to sit Dec. 18 to push the bill through after a longer-than-expected delay in the Senate. However, the vote required unanimous consent and some […] Read more
Is Canadian agriculture a greenhouse gas giant or an economic engine?
WINNIPEG — Farming may be Canada’s economic engine or a significant source of greenhouse gases that threaten the planet. It all depends on who you ask. Two reports were released in early December, one from the National Farmers Union and the other from Grain Farmers of Ontario. The NFU report focused on greenhouse gas emissions […] Read more
Buhler Industries finds new majority shareholder in Turkish firm
It was a big week for western Canadian machinery manufacturers as Winnipeg-based Buhler Industries inked a deal that will see a Turkish company purchase its majority stake, and Guelph-based manufacturer Linamar Corporation acquired Saskatchewan’s Bourgault Industries. Buhler Industries and Başak Traktör, a subsidiary of ASKO Holding, entered an agreement to purchase common shares held by […] Read more
B.C. to launch first mandate for sustainable aviation fuel
SASKATOON — British Columbia is making history by becoming the first jurisdiction in North America to implement a sustainable aviation fuel mandate. There are hundreds of planes in the air today using SAF, and the fuel is available at more than 100 airports. “But for these alternatives to be manufactured at scale, fuel producers need […] Read more
Prairie soybean acreage increase has a ceiling
Specialists say the crop is a ‘sub-tropical species’ that likely can’t reach four to five million acres in Western Canada
Not long ago, soybean advocates were expecting the crop to reach four to five million acres in Western Canada. After several years of drought, industry experts are now saying that soybeans can still perform on the Prairies, but likely on a smaller number of acres. “I think Manitoba will probably end up at 1.5 to […] Read more
Poultry sector begins to debate avian flu vaccine
Resistance to vaccinating commercial poultry is abating, but attempting such an endeavour could prove complicated
MEDICINE HAT — After a relatively calm spring, avian influenza has stormed back into a problem. This fall has seen the highly pathogenic virus hit southern British Columbia’s Fraser Valley hard with more than 50 farms affected, mostly commercial operations. Outside of adhering to the latest biosecurity measures, there is no solution in sight over […] Read more
Canada waits for China to lift BSE ban on beef
MEDICINE HAT — It’s been two years since China put restrictions on imports of Canadian beef products in the wake of a case of atypical BSE being discovered. Despite South Korea and the Philippines lifting restrictions in relatively short order — the two only other countries that limited imports — China’s ban has remained despite […] Read more
Both sides have a say at Alta. renewable energy hearings
Meetings about the sector’s future in the province hear from both proponents and opponents of continued development
MEDICINE HAT — The Alberta Utilities Commission panel has heard it is not necessarily a question of whether the province should move ahead with renewable energy development but where that should take place. Virtual hearings with the unwieldy title, “Inquiry into the ongoing, orderly and efficient development of electricity generation in Alberta,” were held Dec. […] Read more
