Market Wire

More Market Wire

Opinion

It was interesting to find a front page story in our July 7, 2011, issue in which David Phillips, the well-known senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said he thought Western Canada was going through a turbulent, transitional phase that would eventually lead to a new long-term climate regime that was more stable and predictable. | Screencap via producer.com
Opinion

Look back at the July 7, 2011, issue

For the next year, this column will mark The Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. Climate change continues to be a major coverage area for the Western Producer, including a story in last week’s issue that looked at whether Canadian farmers should be […] Read more
StatCan seeded acreages for most crops were not too far from grain trade expectations. One exception may have been barley, down nearly 13 per cent compared to last year. | File photo
Opinion

Many stories are behind seeded acreage stats

There weren’t a lot of surprises in the June 27 seeded acreage report from Statistics Canada. However, the decisions behind what producers plant as well as the long-term acreage trends are intriguing. StatCan seeded acreages for most crops were not too far from grain trade expectations. One exception may have been barley, down nearly 13 […] Read more
[U.S.] federal crop insurance is beginning to resemble federal dairy policy: arcane, costly and incomprehensible to all but the subsidized few. | File photo
Opinion

Smoke, mirrors and deceit drive U.S. crop insurance changes

A longstanding complaint in the United States is the utter incomprehensibility of federal milk pricing policy. For years we’ve joked — mostly through our tears — that only four people in the world understand its complexity and, worse, not one of them is a dairy farmer. As if to prove our point, the U.S. Department […] Read more
A fork in the road or two-lane highway?
Opinion

A fork in the road or two-lane highway?

It may feel that we are standing at a fork in the climate change road: do we focus on trying to solve the problem or do we concentrate on figuring out how to live with the new environmental landscape? Mitigation or adaptation? A recent report by Canadian agricultural economist Al Mussell comes down on the […] Read more
The federal government has announced increases in the lifetime capital gains exemption (LCGE) limit for sales of small business shares and farming and fishing property. | Getty Images
Opinion

Know details of lifetime capital gains exemption changes

Running a successful farming operation involves a non-stop dance with Mother Nature, trying to co-operate with her and achieve balance within the ecosystem. Then there’s the financial side, where it can be difficult to increase profits while reducing expenses and taxes. The federal government has announced increases in the lifetime capital gains exemption (LCGE) limit […] Read more
The average guy or gal now has to work for a full hour to pay for a six-pack and burger, but only had to work for 51 minutes in 2019, according to Rabobank, which released its annual BBQ Index today. | File photo
Opinion

BBQ pain for we beer and burger boys

Here's where inflation gets real

Here’s where inflation gets real: When millions of Americans get together for backyard barbecues on July 4, the average host is going to be shelling out US$99 for ingredients, including beer and burgers. In 2018 the same stuff only cost $73, according to Rabobank, the global agricultural lender. The average guy or gal now has […] Read more
With the value of hindsight, we now know that shelterbelts were a mere Band-Aid in the widespread wind erosion crisis. | File photo
Opinion

Field shelterbelts were never the right solution

Sometime in the mid to late 1980s when drought, soil erosion and terrible grain farm economics were plaguing the sector, I recall a Save our Soils meeting in my hometown. A portable sign helped advertise the meeting, but someone rearranged the letters to spell “Save our Souls.” That actually captured the sentiment at the time […] Read more
Many Alberta regions hadn’t had a decent rain in a year, and eight municipalities in the northeastern and central parts of the province had declared agricultural disasters. | Bruce Dyck photo
Opinion

Look back at the June 25, 2009, issue

For the next year, this column will mark The Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. Another drought loomed as the 2009 growing season moved from spring to summer. Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said existing government programs would help producers if the situation […] Read more
The author writes that the loss of farmland can be blamed on increased immigration as more houses are built to accommodate the newcomers. | File photo
Opinion

Immigration fuels loss of farmland

For decades, a vocal minority of ideologues conflated any criticism of Canada’s immigration policy with hostility towards immigrants. This stifled the free and lively democratic debate that, while at times noisy and acrimonious, ensures government policies are subject to scrutiny from the public. As the Trudeau government oversaw record-breaking population growth of 1.2 million in […] Read more
From an American farmer’s perspective, perhaps the most interesting 2024 election to date was posted by our second biggest ag customer, Mexico. On June 2, it elected a political novice, Claudia Sheinbaum, as president. | Screencap via x.com/Claudiashein
Opinion

Mexico’s election delivers new leader to tackle old problems

While Americans still face a long season of political campaigning, more than 80 other nations have completed their federal elections this year or are about to go to the polls. France’s general elections will be held June 30, the United Kingdom’s on July 4, and Venezuela on July 28. The European Union completed parliamentary elections […] Read more

Latest video

More Videos