Canada sells a lot of wheat, but we cannot take our position in the wheat trade for granted. Canola has been getting a lot of attention lately, mainly because of its export growth and China’s obstinate moratorium, but it’s interesting to note that Canadian wheat exports to China are on a record pace this year. […] Read more
Opinion
Must Reads
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U.S. milk shakeup just the beginning
While many in the United States dairy sector focus on why the nation’s largest milk bottler, Dean Foods, filed for…
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Farmers should help design water drainage regulations
At first glance, the Saskatchewan government’s attempt to address drainage issues appears to be a no-win scenario. However, if the…
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Lack of knowledge about food is risky
Food and the safety of our food are of the utmost importance to people, or so we thought. In recent…
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Canada should consider adjusting biotech regs
Canada’s approach to regulating biotechnology — evaluating novel traits for plants — strikes the right balance between scientific evaluation and…
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Compromise required for national unity
When groups of people are perpetually set against each other, there is a real danger that those divisions will take…
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Ag must work hard to woo new gov’t
The federal election is over and it is now incumbent upon all parts of agriculture to work with the government…
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Stories from our other publications
Bibeau saying the right things, but can she deliver the goods?
Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau is appearing to strike all the right notes following her reappointment to the position a few weeks ago, but her true measure has yet to be taken. Almost immediately after retaining her cabinet posting, she left for Regina to attend Canadian Western Agribition. She was able to win some favour […] Read more
Why cover regenerative agriculture?
The Farm Forum Event held in Saskatoon earlier this month drew hundreds of farmers and agrologists for three days of seminars. A topic of conversation among farmers was regenerative agriculture, with one audience member inquiring about this latest “buzzword.” Regenerative ag is a series of practices that rely less on chemicals and more on natural […] Read more
U.S. milk shakeup just the beginning
While many in the United States dairy sector focus on why the nation’s largest milk bottler, Dean Foods, filed for bankruptcy Nov. 12, the smart money — if there is any smart money left after four years of crushingly low milk prices — is focused on what’s next. What’s next is what’s always next when […] Read more
Use caution when paying family members for farm work
Farming in Canada has always been a family intensive business, even on larger incorporated farm enterprises. Spouses in many cases are full partners in the process and chief bookkeepers for the business. Part of normal childhood education on the farm is an ongoing list of farm chores, which can include everything from field preparation, planting, […] Read more
Yield reports may fuel 2020 acreage shifts
The crop production numbers released Dec. 6 by Statistics Canada will provide lots of fodder for market analysts. Beyond the supply and price analysis, it’s instructive to examine the surprising differences in crop yields for various crops across the three prairie provinces. Flax yields are particularly interesting. In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, flax yields for 2019 […] Read more
Letters to the editor – December 12, 2019
Grain-drying tax pointless, punitive Re: “Carbon tax a grain-drying mystery” (WP, Nov. 28). Anecdotal evidence or hard numbers on the cost of the carbon tax on grain drying, it doesn’t matter. Every dollar farmers are spending on a carbon tax on an essential operation to deal with this year’s harvest is a dollar they are […] Read more
New crop mission tells durum’s story
Every year, a few teams of people from the Canadian wheat value chain head off to numerous export markets around the world. I am taking part in one such mission heading to major durum markets in southern Europe and North Africa. These “new crop missions” are trips organized by Cereals Canada, the Canadian International Grains […] Read more
Compromise required for national unity
When groups of people are perpetually set against each other, there is a real danger that those divisions will take on lives of their own and prevent all sides from getting anything done. Politicians constantly divide the population in ways that help them chart a path to power. Divisive politics work. The Alberta and Saskatchewan […] Read more
New world ag order forces feds’ hand on farm support
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau must consider the changing agricultural landscape when her ministry reviews business risk management programs, as she promised to do during the election campaign. The agricultural world order is moving from a market-oriented, supply and demand function in search of an equilibrium to a politically directed landscape that is teeming with […] Read more
