Saskatchewan farm leader Norm Hall has delivered a pointed message for opposition politicians fighting the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly battle against the federal Conservative government. Barring a court reversal, the political battle is over, said the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president. “The message we are giving is that the game is determined,” he said […] Read more
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Outline post CWB rules: APAS
Farmers see on-farm grain storage as way to assert control
Is grain storage a wasteful frill or a key strategic asset? That’s a question I’ve pondered lately, and it’s been coming up all pver as the post Canadian Wheat Board mono-poly world looms. I recently moderated a panel discussion about the post-monopoly world, and the question of who would store the grain came up. It […] Read more
Stewardship program gets grassland grant
The Saskatchewan-based Ranchers Stewardship Alliance has been awarded a $48,000 grant to explore ways to encourage ranchers to protect natural grasslands. The grant was a portion of the $1.3 million in funding awarded to various groups by the Commission for Environmental Co-operation. Funding was announced in mid-February. Sue Michalsky, a director with the RSA, said […] Read more
Vietnam provides wealth of opportunities for trade
Feedgrains, livestock | Economic growth in developing countries will create new markets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Global food demand is showing no signs of abating, according to the U.S. Grains Council. More than 600 million households, primarily in developing countries, will join the middle class by 2020. “These new markets in terms of sheer size and dollar value will exceed existing middle class markets in the U.S., Europe […] Read moreFarmers stand to gain from shale gas technology
The shale gas revolution has suddenly flipped North America from being one of the most expensive places to produce fertilizer to among the world’s cheapest. That’s drawing interest from manufacturers to boost production here, which might give prairie farmers a crucial competitive advantage in the cutthroat world of global trade. “This has turned completely up-side […] Read more
Plan to bring bison into park debated
COCHRANE, Alta. — Bison could be roaming Banff National Park by 2014. Federal environment minister Peter Kent announced the plan to bring Plains bison back to the park at the end of January. However, some of the park’s neighbours are questioning the animals’ health status and whether fences could keep the animals from wandering into […] Read more
Foreign buyers look to Canada for food barley
Interest from Norway, Japan | Norway plans to test high beta-glucan varieties for baking and food processing
BANFF, Alta. — Canadian barley continues to generate interest among niche users who see it as a potentially good fit for distilling and food processing purposes. Barley users from Norway and Japan were among the foreign visitors who attended the prairie grain industry’s annual variety recommending meetings held in Banff in late February. The delegations […] Read moreCIGI seeking move to new home
An invitation to move the Canadian International Grains Institute to Saskatoon from Winnipeg has stirred debate. CIGI spokesperson Rex Newkirk confirms that the organization will move, but it may be only from downtown to another Winnipeg location. “We’re just out of space,” the director of research and business development said in an interview. “We’re quite […] Read more
Federal gov’t to cut $186M from Ag Canada budget
The federal government is projecting budget cuts of $186 million at Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the fiscal year beginning April 1. It would be almost a five percent reduction in spending at the department and agency. In spending estimates tabled in Parliament last week, the government projected cuts in business […] Read more
Farm safety: there’s an app for that
Digital technology replaces binders and safety manuals
The Canada FarmSafe Plan is developing a computer app that should make it easier for producers to create and follow standard operating procedures on their farms. Carol Ann Paul, managing director of the Centre for Education and Work at the University of Winnipeg, received $200,000 in funding to create the farmer friendly software over the […] Read more
