I’m not a cow-calf producer, but if I was, I’d take a close look at the Livestock Price Insurance Program. With strong cattle prices, LPI is offering the highest floor prices in the program’s history. That means cow-calf producers can lock in a profitable floor price in the fall and early winter for the calves […] Read more
Tag Archives Hursh on Ag — page 7
Governments need to cut unnecessary spending
Governments should cut taxes. Governments should increase spending in key priorities such as health care and education. Meanwhile, governments shouldn’t run deficits. While the math says these three are incompatible, government budgets are simultaneously criticized on all three counts. It’s easy picking for whatever party is in opposition. Even if a government has a lucky […] Read more
FCC report shows farmland values still rising
Farm Credit Canada’s Farmland Values Report for 2023 had some surprises as well as some head scratchers. Saskatchewan’s farm income levels have been very strong, but it was still a bit surprising to see the province lead the rest of the nation with a 15.7 percent increase in cultivated farmland values, ahead of Manitoba at […] Read more
Producers have insurance options to consider
Several insurance options are worthy of consideration for the upcoming year. Some are new and others are made more relevant by current market conditions. Let’s start with the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) and its applicability for cow-calf producers. The program has been around for a number of years with awareness and participation gradually […] Read more
Farmland prices may have reached turning point
What if current grain prices and squeezed margins are the new normal? Certainly, there are well-capitalized operations with a great deal of resilience. However, you have to think there will be operations financially stretched by aggressive expansion. Timing is everything when a new producer starts out or when a farm makes a major expansion. Buying […] Read more
Lower farm profitability will have an impact
With the substantial reduction in grain prices over the past five months, the profitability picture in the crops sector has dimmed considerably. That appears to be having an impact on the farmland market while making AgriStabililty look more appealing. Let’s start with AgriStability, a program that many farmers have dropped. Slightly less than half of […] Read more
Time to prepare for disappointing grain prices
Unless some unforeseen geopolitical event transpires, lower grain prices will be the reality for the growing season ahead and that will have wide-ranging ramifications. South of the border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting 2024 net farm income at $116 billion, down from $156 billion in 2023 and the record $186 billion in 2022. […] Read more
Prairie crop profitability picture changes focus
According to a recent profitability analysis by Rayglen Commodities of Saskatoon, lentils have the potential to be a top money earner for the upcoming growing season while flax, soybeans and fababeans are at the bottom of the list. Changing price projections have altered the expected profitability for many crops over the past couple months. Saskatchewan […] Read more
Interoperability bill is a win for common sense
Many farmers are probably unaware of the legislation regarding the interoperability of equipment, but it’s a rare example of parliamentarians coming together to support a good cause. In simple terms, interoperability refers to the ability of short-line equipment manufacturers to have their products work on mainline machines. The issue came to a head with John […] Read more
Producer bucks the trend with a mixed farm
Mixed farms, which produce both grain and cattle, don’t get a lot of attention. In fact, you could call them an endangered species. For that reason, it was refreshing to see a presentation called Bucking the Trend at the recent Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. The presenter was Duane Thompson of Tee Two Land & […] Read more
