I have a great life — and it’s all about food. I get to grow some food, mostly for other folks. I get to write about, and direct editorial traffic around, agriculture and food at one of the best farming publications on the planet. And I get the opportunity to help other farmers grow more […] Read more
Opinion — page 2
China about to change global meat sector
Farmers need to translate their world into city language
From a young age, children are taught that words matter. They are repeatedly told that they should “use their words” and that the best stories are ones told in a language their audience (their parents, teachers, siblings, classmates) can understand. These same communication rules apply to the agriculture industry. For years, the sector has been […] Read more
Traps to watch for when deferring tax on grain sales
Are you one of many farmers delivering grain to an elevator and delaying tax on the sale until the following year? When using grain deferrals there are a number of tips and traps you should consider. A deferral is when you deliver grain in one year but accept payment for that grain in the following […] Read more
Letters to the editor – April 11, 2019
Sask. PST increase worse than carbon tax Having recently completed my income tax return for 2018, I noticed a significant increase in Saskatchewan PST charges. With the current backlash against the federal carbon tax, led in large part by the provincial government, I decided to do some comparing. In the spring of 2017 the Saskatchewan […] Read more
BLOG: Canada-China relationship was getting cozy before Meng detention
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under fire for the deteriorating Canada-China relationship, but his misstep may have been to be too accommodating to the Asian superpower. The Canada-U.S. relationship hit a low when President Donald Trump imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel due to “national security concerns,” forced Canada into impromptu and brutal negotiations for […] Read more
Canada may need a rethink on how it trades with China
China’s ban on imports of Canadian canola seed is an urgent issue, but it also gives Canada an opportunity to rethink its relationship on agricultural trade with China. Some creative thinking could turn our collective mindset upside down. Canada and China had agreed to double agricultural trade between them by 2025. That trade is now […] Read more
Time for a code of practice for grain
I was on a speaker’s panel a few weeks back with a farmer who said he never wanted to hear the word sustainability again. I understand the sentiment, but we as an industry are going to be hearing that word more and more from customers and consumers around the world. Farmers shy away from sustainability […] Read more
WP writers recognized for their efforts
Western Producer journalists have been recognized around the world for their work, and this year’s North American Agricultural Journalists awards competition kept that record going. Five members of the Producer’s newsroom were honoured in four categories. The news team of Barb Glen, Robert Arnason and Ed White won first place in the Special Projects category […] Read more
Feds try to keep politics out of China-canola controversy
Politics were in full swing April 1 as Members of Parliament returned to the House of Commons for two full sitting weeks. The Ottawa bubble remains obsessed with the SNC Lavalin story after former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould tabled additional documents with the clerk of the House justice committee on March 29. That submission included […] Read more
Looking for solutions to the China problem
There are no easy answers, no simple solutions on the issue of China and canola. Some measures and approaches are better than others, but none guarantees a satisfactory conclusion. Going back to the beginning of this mess, some pundits say Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou should have been discretely forewarned to stay clear of Canada. Alternatively, […] Read more
