Saskatchewan’s proposed irrigation plan will benefit from a $10 billion Canada Infrastructure Bank program announced Oct. 1. The CIB intends to spend $1.5 billion for agriculture infrastructure. According to a backgrounder issued with the federal government’s news release, that includes “transformative irrigation infrastructure” in Western Canada. “The benefits of this new initiative include the addition […] Read more
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U.S. announces another $13 billion in farm aid
MOSINEE, Wis., (Reuters) — United States President Donald Trump announced a new round of pandemic assistance to farmers of about US$13 billion at a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Sept. 17, delivering aid to an important sector in a crucial battleground state. Wisconsin is known for its milk and cheese industries, which have been hard […] Read more
Small pigeon pea crop in India expected to affect lentil imports
India has tight supplies of pigeon peas heading into the new crop harvest, which is going to be smaller than initially expected, say industry officials. Green lentils are used as a substitute for pigeon peas (or tur) in India, so Canadian growers and exporters are keeping a close eye on the crop. Nitin Kalantry, chief […] Read more
‘Future is unlimited’ for plant-based food
Today’s young people are described as adventurous and quality driven who tend to buy food they consider healthy and sustainable
Ken Toong has first-hand experience with the consumer of the future and says it bodes well for plant-based foods. Toong is executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It is the largest campus dining operation in the United States, serving 50,000 meals daily to 22,000 students on meal plans. The students […] Read more
Women’s loan program proves popular
A federal loan program for women offered through Farm Credit Canada is so popular that it will spend double the amount originally budgeted. The FCC Women Entrepreneur Program was originally a $500 million investment over three years, but agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau recently said 1,391 loans have been approved so far, requiring $994.5 million. “It’s […] Read more
Alta. to increase international trade staff
As a way of fighting back against “tough times for Alberta,” Premier Jason Kenney plans to help the province’s farmers by aggressively boosting agricultural exports in markets around the world. “Our agriculture sector is a powerhouse for our economy and there’s tremendous opportunity for the sector to be a big contributor to Alberta’s recovery from […] Read more
Crop input supplier decides to waive membership fees
Farmer’s Business Network, an American data aggregation company and online supplier of seed, generic farm chemicals and marketing services, has decided to waive membership fees for its members in Canada, the United States and Australia. The decision was announced Sept. 15. The company, which had about 14,000 farmer members before the Sept. 15 announcement, used […] Read more
Town plans agri-food industrial park
The town of Vegreville, Alta., will use nearly $10 million to be obtained through three levels of government to build an 80-acre agri-food industrial park. A $4.9 million grant fromOttawa, $3.3 million from the Alberta government and $1.65 million from the town will fund the project. “It’s tied to the closure of the Case Processing […] Read more
Refinery aid sparks furore
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Reuters) — American lawmakers spoke out last month against the potential use of U.S. Department of Agriculture funds to bail out refiners that are denied exemptions from the nation’s biofuel blending laws. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering at least US$300 million in financial relief to refiners denied waivers from the U.S. […] Read more
India’s farm laws meet opposition
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, (Reuters) — India’s parliament has approved new farm bills that the government says will unshackle farmers from having to sell their produce only at regulated wholesale markets and make contract farming easier. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet had issued emergency executive orders in June to change the longstanding rules that govern the vast […] Read more
