“If this goes through, I’ll be out of business,” said a producer attending the Dec. 4 consultation in Saskatoon on options for farm-saved seed royalties. The comment is indicative of the level of concern — concern out of proportion to the actual proposals. Under the rules imposed on media, comments made during the meeting are […] Read more
Opinion
Must Reads
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New trespass laws welcome, but come with cautions
The most ominous signal surrounding proposed changes to trespassing laws governing rural land in Saskatchewan came from Chief Bobby Cameron…
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Sask. must tackle renewable energy
Of all the conversations I’ve had about climate change, the most eye-opening are with farmers. They see the changes in…
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BLOG: Should public scientists talk to the public?
In November of 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a mandate letter to each of his ministers, including Agriculture Minister…
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Canada’s trade advantage over U.S. will cause trouble
It was tempting there, for a moment, to imagine that Canada’s strained relationship with the United States over trade in…
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Trade deals hurt farmers’ livelihoods
At 8 a.m. one recent morning, when the milking of 110 cows was complete, I helped Jeannie van Dyk feed…
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Public trust hard to earn in era when distrust is common
Agriculture leaders, experts, government officials, farmers and academics gathered in Gatineau, Que., last week for a two-day conference to talk…
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Stories from our other publications
People’s Party platform requires a closer look
Farmers who take a close look at Maxime Bernier’s platform — that of the People’s Party of Canada — will find some things to like. The question lies in the bigger picture — are these agricultural policies compelling enough for farmers to accept the massive cultural change the party would put the country through? And […] Read more
Recognize ag for grain-stored carbon
Agriculture is in a very unique position in this new low carbon era. Each year, Canadian farms are net collectors of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e) by collecting carbon in soil and grain. Until now, the focus has been mainly on agricultural emissions, but there is a growing movement among farmers to look at the […] Read more
Combatting bad press
On Nov. 1, The Western Producer published a story under the headline, “Canadian pulses attacked in India’s press.” The story detailed how the Times of India, the country’s largest English language newspaper, published a story a week earlier warning readers about a government statement on glyphosate in daal (split, dried pulses) imported from Canada and […] Read more
Warm memories abound of Parliament’s Centre Block
I remember the first time I wandered the hallowed halls of Parliament’s Centre Block. It was the summer between Grade 5 and Grade 6. My family was in the middle of a major cross-country road trip. We’d stopped off for a few days in Ottawa, in time to visit with some of my mother’s extended […] Read more
Save money on AgriStability, AgriInvest filing costs
Tired of having a big AgriStability or AgriInvest bill from your accountant? Have you wondered if there is anything you can do to reduce the bill? These programs are complex and it can be difficult to know how to organize your information for your accountant. Luckily, there are some simple ways to improve the efficiency […] Read more
Letters to the editor – December 13, 2018
New drainage rules will reduce tensions Re: Kevin Hursh’s column, “Sask. drainage rules ratchet up the tension,” (WP, Nov. 22). The new Water Security Act has very few changes that affect law-abiding citizens. The Agricultural Water Management Strategy presently being implemented is the key to changes in water policy in the province. The most significant […] Read more
New trespass laws welcome, but come with cautions
The most ominous signal surrounding proposed changes to trespassing laws governing rural land in Saskatchewan came from Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, who offered that he hoped “there are no more tragedies” as a result of the law. It is important to heed this. The proposed changes come two years […] Read more
Sask. must tackle renewable energy
Of all the conversations I’ve had about climate change, the most eye-opening are with farmers. They see the changes in growing seasons, wet years that are wetter, dry years that are drier, floods and fires and changes in weeds and wildlife. They know that we have to act to slow climate change and to adapt […] Read more
Developing a cropping plan is like 3-D chess
Do you have your 2019 cropping plan figured out yet?” I asked an acquaintance recently. “Well,” he said, “I have the October plan and a November plan and soon I’ll develop a December plan. Version 3.0 will probably look quite a bit different than the previous two.” For those who ponder a wide range of […] Read more
