AgriStability under discussion | Ag ministers to meet in Whitehorse to form a five-year plan
Federal and provincial agriculture ministers have negotiated new farm support rules largely in secret, but British Columbia minister Don McRea figured his producers should be in on the secret. Beginning in June, before any other minister, he began to brief farmers in the province about proposals for drastic cuts in business risk management program funding […] Read moreTag Archives Ag Finance — page 6
Changes imminent, says B.C. ag minister
Pine beetle stabilized
Officials are continuing to carefully watch the movement of mountain pine beetles in Alberta, says a provincial official. The latest results are a mixed bag. Surveys conducted at 179 sites across Alberta’s pine forests in May and June found a wide variation in the over-winter mortality for the beetle, whose populations cut off nutrient supplies […] Read more
App helps identify invasive weeds
A new application for smart phones will allow people in British Columbia to easily report invasive weeds so that they can be identified, tracked and controlled. The Report-a-Weed app is a free download to iPhone and Android phones that allows users to submit reports of invasive plant sightings, upload photos and browse a list of […] Read more
Push on for EU trade deal
With speculation swirling late last year about agricultural implications if Canada joins Pacific Rim trade talks, Agriculture Canada officials were suggesting privately that Canada keep its eye on the European ball. In preparation for a November 2011 meeting between deputy agriculture minister John Knubley and his trade department counterpart Louis Lévesque, departmental officials prepared a […] Read more
Water buffalo plans key to start-up farm
The water buffalo living on Sy Bennik’s dairy farm near Rimbey, Alta., are true to their nature. The 10 females and one bull take every opportunity to wallow in puddles and lie in mud. “They certainly like the muck,” said Brad Bennik, Sy’s son and the owner of the water buffalo. “If there was a […] Read more
Producers not engaged on safety net changes
Business risk management programs (farm safety nets) are not a typical topic of conversation among farmers, but they should be. The federal government is putting the finishing touches on programs that will be in place for the years ahead and most producers are in the dark about them. The feds will tell you that there […] Read more
Anglo Quebecker nervously awaits election night in Quebec
For a political junkie, there are few more riveting, thrilling moments than election night — the drama, the personal stories, the horse race and the implications of the outcome. This political junkie has covered and been riveted by 14 federal election nights over 45 years and many additional provincial moments. They are more than worth […] Read more
Good farm policy reliant on realistic definition of ag
A real problem with statistical reporting of Canadian farm numbers lies in the way those numbers misinform and skew public perception and government policy debate. By allowing individuals to self-describe themselves as farmers if they produce agricultural goods with the intention of selling them, Statistics Canada compiles an inflated number of “farmers,” most of whom […] Read more
Precision ag software considers water a valuable input
OUTLOOK, Sask. — Precision agriculture technology has advanced to include application of the most basic nutrient — water. Instead of a uniform application of water across an entire quarter section, variable rate irrigation software allows farmers to program their pivots to deliver different amounts of water at different times and in different parts of the […] Read more
Vital lifelines give us hope
The darkest part of Jodi Picoult’s novel Vanishing Acts is the chapter on protagonist Andrew’s imprisonment. Interpersonal conflict in the prison was so extreme he was sure he couldn’t face it for another day. His lawyer was ultimately able to get him moved to “administrative segregation” and reassured him that he would win the case […] Read more
