Farmers on the Canadian Prairies were some of the first to use the 4Rs of fertilizer management. No one thought of it that way at the time. The rest of the world didn’t care or wasn’t aware of occurrences on these 62 million acres of cropland. Now it’s a thing, but the world still doesn’t […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
Pick-up trucks should not be used as a wedge issue
A tax on pick-up trucks? Peddling political conspiracy theories should be left to the coffee-shoppers and lobby con artists, not bandied about by politicians. For those not previously informed, rumours abounded of late that the Liberal government was planning an additional tax on pick-up trucks and other less-fuel-efficient vehicles as part of its climate strategy. […] Read more
Food, fuel, future: the debate intensifies
Food versus fuel: it’s a phrase that often sparks debates, especially when energy prices rise. The current case of pricey power is partially war fueled and partially part of recovery from the ongoing COVID economic slump. Biofuel, the basis of food versus fuel debates, is also assessed through its relationship with greenhouse gas production. Wind, […] Read more
Ag’s labour pains require multi-pronged approach
Worker shortages in agriculture might be the labour pains of birthing a bigger economy, but they also represent the pain of a national economic illness. The seeds of this industry’s current labour crisis were planted years ago and nurtured by subsequent world events — in some cases inadvertently and in other cases with intent. Farm […] Read more
Economics, not policy drive modern farming
Reducing waste on the farm requires that anything used to produce a yield, a plant or an animal has as few byproducts as possible. Greenhouse gases are among those byproducts. Waste water is another, as are manure, poly products for wrapping feeds or grain, dust and weed seeds. If it leaves the farmyard and producers […] Read more
Wild pigs: we must root out the rooters
Wild pigs are a growing problem for farmers and ranchers and, as predicted more than 40 years ago, they are a threat as a disease vector for the domestic swine industry. Pigs have lived free on the Canadian landscape since the first ones escaped from farms in Central Canada long before there was a Canada. […] Read more
Speedy resolution needed to CP labour disruption
Editor’s note: To meet printing deadlines, this editorial was written prior to an arbitration agreement being reached between CP Rail and its unionized employees. The labour dispute at Canadian Pacific Railway is generating tremors in an industry rife with deep fissures. Mediation efforts continued at time of this writing, but since the work stoppage began […] Read more
There’s now a way to usurp the burp
Canada has some great regulatory systems for agriculture and food. For the most part, they’re science-based and consumer friendly, designed to protect the public but also the nation’s reputation for providing safe food. But sometimes regulators fail to see the herd for the cattle. Changes in agriculture can be delayed for years while awaiting regulatory […] Read more
Farm incomes rise, but will they stay?
Net farm income has been growing again after taking a few years off for rest and relaxation. But with that growth comes awareness that the cures for high prices — and margins — are high prices. Whenever high or, as in the case of 2021, record-high net farm incomes are reported, producers often find themselves […] Read more
Sustainability funding must be about more than carbon
Agriculture in Western Canada can’t lose over the long haul, provided we keep our ducks in a row, or rather cattle, pigs, poultry and crops in neat rows the world can identify with as being sustainably managed and environmentally sensitive. However, window dressing won’t cut it. Government funding of change should be structural and not […] Read more
