The Western Producer turns 100 this week, and we’re spilling a bit of ink in this issue to mark the occasion. The intention is to carry the commemoration throughout the next year, and to look ahead as well as behind. However, this issue is dedicated very much to looking at where we’ve come from and […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
Waiting for a rainy day? We should be so lucky
Water management is not a new issue in farming country. Prairie farmers have been focused on either finding enough water or figuring out how to get rid of it ever since they began tilling the soil and running cattle on rangeland more than 100 years ago. It’s no different this year. Lack of water in […] Read more
Prairie farmers score a win in grain commission tussle
Recent Canadian Grain Commission plans to align primary and export wheat test weights had unforeseen consequences. The controversy managed to bring the National Farmers Union and the Wheat Growers Association onto the same page — in this case, a joint news release — which astounded many observers of prairie agricultural politics. It also laid into […] Read more
Bee import rules deserve reassessment by CFIA
Western Canadian agriculture faces significant challenges this summer, notably lack of rain in some regions and fallout from a port strike in British Columbia. But there’s another aggravation buzzing around the sector that has been an irritant for years. A bee in the ointment, so to speak, and one that could soon be offered some […] Read more
Europe may finally choose science over ideology
Europe has been tying the agricultural science community in knots for decades. Despite overwhelming evidence indicating the safety of genetic modification, the region continues to dig in its heels. Some European Union members have flirted over the years with approving the sale and/or cultivation of genetically modified crops, but the general message remains the same: […] Read more
Ag policy must not ignore science and common sense
Many prairie producers have lost patience with the federal government, no longer willing to extend it the benefit of the doubt when new policies are proposed. We’re trying hard to resist this throw-up-your-hands attitude, but it’s not always easy. Take the government’s recent pledge to ban cosmetic pesticide use on federal land. The commitment is […] Read more
Time to think outside the box when dealing with Europe
It’s no secret to anyone paying attention that the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the European Union is not working for Canada’s livestock producers. The deal, approved by both sides in 2017, was welcomed at the time as a tremendous opportunity for the country’s agriculture industry. The promise never materialized for the livestock sector. Last […] Read more
Bunge-Viterra deal needs appropriate bureau scrutiny
It is tempting to see Bunge’s recent acquisition of Viterra as the end of the farmer-owned grain co-operative era, but that era ended a long time ago. Saskatchewan Wheat Pool’s conversion from farmer-owned co-operative to publicly traded company in 1996 was the first step in that direction. The pool’s 2007 acquisition of Agricore United, itself […] Read more
Federal gov’t must step up with seed research money
Innovation in crop breeding rests on the activities of three sets of players: public research, industry research and producer groups. Each brings different strengths and weaknesses to the table.
Shared gov’t responsibilities have served ag sector well
You could argue that Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers took some of the fun out of following policy development when they signed the first Agricultural Policy Framework back in 2003. At least that’s from the perspective of reporters, who had grown accustomed to the posturing of farm organizations, the provinces and the feds over […] Read more
