Norway has one of the most restrictive genetics-use rules in the world, which makes most new plant breeding tools off-limits. Many countries look to its well-debated positions for influence, and anti-GM advocates tout the nation as having taken the right path. Could the rules be shifting for that northern nation? Norway is now in the […] Read more
Opinion — page 2
Stop selling false hope of credit for historical carbon efforts
Farmers holding out hope that historical efforts to sequester carbon will earn them credit on a carbon trading market should accept a hard truth. It isn’t happening. They should have accepted disappointment long ago, but are continuously sold false hopes. Saskatchewan is developing its own protocols for a carbon market. The feds are doing the […] Read more
Bill C-208’s impact will be significant
Until recently, it was more tax efficient for Canadian farmers to sell their business to a stranger than a member of their own family. Ninety-eight per cent of Canadian farms are family owned, with assets increasing significantly in value over the years. The average Canadian farmer is 55 years old and may be looking to […] Read more
Chronic labour shortages may have a solution
Trucker shortages are a perennial problem in Canada. Steps have been taken over the years, such as educational campaigns to convince prospective employees that driving truck can be a fulfilling career. Governments have also done their part, such as in Alberta, where a program was introduced to ease the cost of training. But a new […] Read more
Producers do not need a lecture on climate change
Dried-up crops hurt both your pocketbook and your self-esteem, but what I find particularly irksome is when some armchair quarterback says it’s all because of climate change. Yes, a number of temperature records have been broken. Yes, it’s been abnormally dry in many areas. Yes, there are fields that won’t see a combine. Guess what, […] Read more
Pros and cons to consider when planning a business sale
As the current generation of farmers heads into retirement, we are more commonly seeing family farms being sold to third parties instead of transferred to the next generation. Aside from determining the purchase price, the most important decision in a sale is how it should be structured. The two main options are a share sale […] Read more
Sector’s big bets on biofuel likely to pay off in Canada
New canola crushing capacity will provide an expanded, ready market for western Canadian farmers. The underlying demand comes from government policy changes that support an increase in biofuel use. While markets can be fickle when based on policy rather than practicality, this market seems to have solid underpinnings. The flurry of new domestic crushing project […] Read more
All signs point to prime minister calling September election
There’s a sense of excitement, and dread, in Ottawa as an election sits on the horizon. We don’t know when an election is coming, but politicians and staffers are preparing to hit the campaign trail. Here is what is clear. First, Parliament is scheduled to resume sitting Sept. 20. The minority Liberals survived the most […] Read more
Prairie debt levels ticking time bomb
The debt in Canada’s prairie provinces has grown colossally during the COVID-19 pandemic, just as debt has in the rest of Canada and around the world. At the end of 2020, Alberta’s debt was estimated at $98 billion, Manitoba’s was $28.6 billion and Saskatchewan’s was $15 billion. These debts are an economic burden for taxpayers […] Read more
Let loose in the berry patch with no quotas
I don’t remember doing a lot of berry picking as a kid. I certainly don’t remember receiving strict instructions to come back with full pails — or else. The few foraging expeditions that do stick in my head are remembered as relaxed affairs, but we were still expected to come back with something. These trips […] Read more
