Federal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau says industry and government have a shared responsibility to fix a trade deal that has not resulted in strong results for Canadian producers. Expected to reach $1.5 billion in new agri-food exports, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union has fallen short of those targets […] Read more
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Farmers fume over CETA failings
Agricultural exporters are fuming over the failings of the Canada-European Union trade deal, which has achieved virtually little for Canadian farmers. Yet EU ag exporters have seen their food sales to Canada soar, unaffected by the vexatious measures Canadian exporters believe the EU imposes to prevent reciprocal access. The situation has a wide swath of […] Read more
Loose sow housing plans delayed
Plans to convert all Canadian hog barns to loose sow housing by 2024 will be delayed to 2029 if recommended amendments to the pig code of practice are approved. Many hog producers cannot meet the previous deadline due to complexity of converting older barns, cost, financing difficulties, larger space requirements and projected lower productivity during […] Read more
Hog barn renovations can be fraught with surprises
A veterinarian says converting a barn to open-sow housing is not a simple task; unforeseen problems may add cost and time to the renovation
In 2014, pig producers in Canada were instructed to move their sows from stalls to loose housing by 2024 as part of changes to national pig code of practice. Ten years seems like enough time to make such a transition, but converting a pig barn to open-sow housing is not a simple task, said Egan […] Read more
Charges withdrawn against farmers
Charges have been withdrawn against two Sundre-area farmers that stemmed from a tractor and check stop incident that occurred near Didsbury, Alta., in late July. Jeremia Leussink had been charged with resisting arrest and refusing to provide a breath sample. His brother, Dominic, had been charged with two counts of obstruction, with a third charge […] Read more
Federal government stays positive about EU trade
Canada’s government leaders are maintaining a cautiously optimistic tone in describing the Canada-European Union trade deal, despite frustrations from vexed Canadian exporters. But while remaining positive and constructive in tone, federal cabinet ministers have repeatedly encouraged European leaders and officials to fix the chronic problems that have stymied Canadian hopes for improved agricultural trade. “CETA […] Read more
Financing hog barn conversions can be overwhelming
Question: when is a decade’s notice not enough to overhaul your barn to comply with animal welfare codes? Answer: when that barn still carries a mortgage and the operator has struggled to squeeze enough profitability out of it to afford renovations or pay for a new barn. That’s the underlying situation for some independent hog […] Read more
Controlled burns planned for Suffield
Planned grass fires will occur Oct. 3-17 on Canadian Forces Base Suffield, north of Medicine Hat, in efforts to reduce grassy overgrowth in the northern part of the base. The Department of National Defence issued a notice Oct. 1 warning area residents about controlled burn plans in case they observe the smoke and see emergency […] Read more
Farmers urged to consider hog price protection
Some analysts think the North American hog backlog is easing, but others think producers should prepare for the situation to worsen
Prices are a lot better today, but the always-alarming fourth quarter awaits hog producers. With the COVID-19 pandemic expected to carry on for months, now might be the time to take some price protection. “We’re definitely advocates for pricing a third of your production, all the way out to… the summer of next year,” said […] Read more
Malt barley quality, yield called best in years
Good crops in southern Alta. and central Sask. should offset problem areas such as northern Alta. and northeast Sask.
Canadian farmers are harvesting the best quality malt barley crop Peter Watts has seen in the six years he has been serving as managing director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. “We needed it,” he said. “Everybody is pretty excited.” There was little malt barley carryout heading into the 2020-21 crop, so fingers were […] Read more
