Two-thirds of the world’s food comes today from just nine plants: sugar cane, maize (corn), rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, palm oil fruit, sugar beets and cassava. In the past, farmers grew tens of thousands of crop varieties around the world. This biodiversity protected agriculture from crop losses caused by plant diseases and climate change. Today, […] Read more
Opinion
When proofing is a matter of life and death
The Western Producer places a lot of value on getting things right. It starts with our reporters, who have accuracy embedded into their DNA. However, no one is perfect, mistakes will sometimes be made and a fresh set of eyes is a crucial part of our standard operating procedure. Every story and column is copy […] Read more
Setting the record straight on Bill C-282
Canada is an attractive trading partner for many nations. Arguing that countries would abandon trade talks simply because we aim to protect our domestic dairy, poultry and egg sectors is unsupported rhetoric. Comprehensive trade deals are just that — comprehensive. Turning supply management, and the livelihoods of our farmers and rural communities, into a scapegoat […] Read more
U.S. ag policy: buy more deck chairs or chart different course
Calls for US$20 billion in “emergency” farm program payments won’t go away now that the proposal’s principal audience, voters, have done their duty. The idea’s chief promoters, congressional Republicans, have built a wobbly case for the aid, and lame ducks or loud winners, their quacking will continue. Should they succeed, federal agriculture subsidies tied to the […] Read more
Red flag before a bull? This is not the time
A private member’s bill intended to keep supply management off the table in future trade negotiations has generated much debate as it works its way through Parliament. Supply management proponents say Bill C-282 in its original form is necessary to protect their sector and won’t be the disaster that some predict. Sectors of the agricultural […] Read more
Letters to the editor – November 14, 2024
Pandemic bill poses food security threat Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, passed third reading in the House of Commons on June 5. The Senate has passed first reading of the bill and second reading is in now in debate. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture addressed the controversy of the legislation in response […] Read more
Canola goals must be reassessed to match market reality
Canada’s canola sector is struggling to reach its goal of producing 26 million tonnes of the oilseed by 2025. The current estimate of this year’s canola crop is 18.98 million tonnes, and the sector has failed to make much headway since posting the largest crop ever in 2017 at 21.46 million tonnes. New crushing capacity […] Read more
Managed money funds continue to reduce short positions
Canola futures have moved sharply higher over the past month, which is partly due to funds covering their short position
Managed money funds have been slowly lifting their short position in grain and oilseed futures markets, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s latest commitments-of-traders report. During the week ending Oct. 29, funds had bought back a total of 53,756 corn contracts, leaving them with a position of 17,703 contracts net short. The […] Read moreThe facts may be known but why are they withheld?
The Canadian dairy industry hasn’t done itself any favours in the aftermath of a report that claims farmers have dumped a large amount of milk in the last 12 years. The study, written by three academics including Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University, angered dairy producers but produced little meaningful explanation from the industry. The study’s […] Read more
Alternative diesel fuels the law of unintended consequences
In our increasingly urgent quest to clean up our climate-altering, carbon-fuelled culture, biodiesel and renewable diesel have become two new darlings of alternative fuel advocates. While diesel fuel may be diesel fuel, biodiesel and renewable diesel are not the same thing. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, both are “produced from the same renewable […] Read more
