Low water levels in the Panama Canal are not disrupting Canadian grain shipments, but they are causing turmoil for exporters in the United States. Transit capacity in the canal has been reduced to 24 ships per day through the end of November, according to a news release from the Panama Canal Authority (PAC). That compares […] Read more
News
Senators vote against changes to carbon pricing exemption bill
The Canadian Senate rejected amendments to Bill C-234 in a pivotal vote Nov. 7. By a 42-28 margin, with three abstentions, senators voted against a change to the bill that would remove heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses from a potential carbon tax exemption. The amendment had been passed during agriculture committee scrutiny and […] Read more
VIDEO: Programs established to strengthen vulnerable African farms
GLEN LEA, Man. — Western Canadian farmers suffered from droughts, floods and other volatile weather in recent years, but the impact can be even greater in parts of the world where farmers are poor, have few modern tools, and are coping with already-ravaged land. “Producing enough food for your family and your community becomes significantly […] Read more
Russia considers backing out of durum market
Canada could soon have one less competitor in what is becoming a tight durum market. Russia’s agriculture ministry is proposing the government impose a six-month ban on durum exports starting Dec. 1, according to a Reuters story. That news combined with lingering dryness in North Africa has MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett advising growers to hold […] Read more
Bright spot seen in China’s embrace of GM crops
China is getting close to commercially producing a variety of genetically modified crops and that is good news for Canadian growers, says an industry official. China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently approved 37 GM corn and 14 GM soybean varieties for cultivation. The approvals are part of a pilot program introduced in 2021 […] Read more
Grain markets watch Brazilian weather
The weather outlook appears challenging for the world’s largest exporter of corn and soybeans, which has ramifications for the entire grains and oilseeds complex. It is already much drier than normal in central and northeastern Brazil and the forecast calls for more of the same. A probability forecast prepared by the Columbia Climate School International […] Read more
Canola yields reach new heights
A canola innovation that could result in dramatic yield gain is getting closer to reality. Next spring, University of Guelph scientists plan to conduct field trials in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and possibly Montana on lines of transgenic canola that have produced 50 percent more pods and 50 percent higher seed yield in a greenhouse. “In the […] Read more
Stocker calf prices boom, but cow herd rebuild unlikely
Much higher prices for beef stocker calves in the fall run have increased optimism and profits for cow-calf producers after a few challenging years. “It’s much needed to keep our industry going because our cow-calf guys are working hard on breaking even and doing everything they can to do that, winter grazing and lowering feed […] Read more
Targeted feed assistance under fire in Sask.
Livestock producers question targeting AgriRecovery to certain areas, saying it should have been offered to everyone
HERBERT, Sask. — Applications for the latest livestock program assistance program are open in Saskatchewan but some cattle producers are less than enthused about this version of AgriRecovery. They’d prefer something like the 2021 drought recovery program that paid $200 per head to all producers. The 2023 program is targeted to certain areas and pays […] Read more
Global investment in agricultural technology cools off
On the positive side, the number of venture capital firms in Canada specializing in agriculture and agri-food is growing
Two years ago, investors and venture capital firms were dumping billions into agriculture and agri-food technology. Money was flowing toward start-up companies developing plant-based “meat”, biological control of crop pests, field sensors and technology to track food back to the farm. That’s just a partial list. To generalize, ag and food tech was hot. In […] Read more
