For much of the last decade, economists and business experts have been warning about Canada’s productivity crisis.
Tag Archives productivity
What to look for when assessing pasture health
Pasture health assessments should be done on a regular basis, according to an Agriculture Canada research biologist in Manitoba
Regular assessments of pasture health are key to improving productivity, protecting soil and making grazing land more resilient to weather extremes, says a range management biologist with Agriculture Canada.
Ag productivity hampered by policy: speakers
Panelists warn that if Canada doesn’t find ways to make itself attractive to agri-food businesses, other countries will
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and the agri-food sector can be a powerful tool for Canada both economically and geopolitcally. That’s according to Jack Mintz, economist and president’s fellow at the University of Calgary’s Public Policy Institute. Agriculture is a high-productivity sector with great strategic opportunities on the world stage, he told attendees of the Protein […] Read more
Did banks and FCC slow productivity growth?
Chartered banks and Farm Credit Canada have had a destructive impact on Canada. FCC’s capitalization of large land-consolidating farms has resulted in a catastrophic decline in the number and per cent of citizens who own and manage a farm business. Half a century ago, a high proportion, perhaps over half, of the kids in rural […] Read more
University’s net-zero research receives federal funding
Research project at the U of M will receive $7.6 million in funding to explore how net-zero farming can be made realistic
Glacier FarmMedia – The University of Manitoba is getting $7.6 million in federal funds to study net-zero farming systems. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Grant will be disbursed over four years and aims to identify strategies to support the Canadian agricultural sector as it moves to a net-zero economy. The federal government has established a goal […] Read more
Producers will suffer during Canada’s productivity crisis
Canada’s farmers will suffer if the country’s productivity crisis continues or even worsens. That was the sobering message from Farm Credit Canada’s J.P. Gervais at the Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Convention. Canada’s productivity slump threatens to undermine what should be a golden future for Canadian farmers, especially pulse growers. “I’m super-enthusiastic about the long-term […] Read more
Microbes matter during pasture restoration
Research finds that the relationship between alfalfa genetics and microbes in the soil can alter growth of the plants
WINNIPEG — Choosing the right alfalfa variety can make a difference, possibly a huge difference, when producers are rejuvenating a pasture. After several years, the productivity of a pasture will decline and many ranchers choose to over-seed or sod-seed alfalfa to revive the pastureland. Farmers will likely select a high-yielding alfalfa variety that is adapted […] Read more
Changing the grain-handling game
How evolving demands around product quality, efficiencies and labour are influencing growers’ decisions on grain-handling systems
Western Canadian growers are rethinking their approaches to grain-handling systems, driven by the need to not only protect their harvests from damage during transport, but also to enhance overall productivity and sustainability on the farm. Industry experts say they’re witnessing an increasing number of growers who have come to the crossroads of their existing systems, […] Read more
FCC, EMILI renew partnership to improve farm productivity
Five-year commitment will last through to 2029 and provide foundation for “farmer-centric” innovations
Glacier FarmMedia – Farm Credit Canada and digital ag accelerator EMILI (Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative) have announced renewal of their partnership. The announcement was made Aug. 1 at EMILI’s Innovation Farms during the organization’s 4R Days and coincided with a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new 8,500-square-foot Innovation Farms Centre. […] Read more
Where does your herd rank among cow-calf benchmarks?
Productivity and health data in cow-calf herds is recorded in a variety of ways; everything from sophisticated software programs and spreadsheets to the traditional calving book that may get filed in a drawer once the calves are weaned. However, we know that keeping and evaluating herd data can help you make better long-term decisions and […] Read more
