Barley producers see the value in new breeding efforts and know if they don’t do it, it might not get done. Canada’s most popular feedgrain has long faced challenges when it comes to advancing its genetics. But the crop has remained in many farmer’s rotations. Whether it’s for feeding livestock or making liquor, the crop’s […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
Carbon tax exemptions needed and deserved
Bill C-234, a private member’s bill that would exempt more farm fuels from the carbon tax, promises to meet some of the federal government commitments made when the price on carbon was originally planned. It is superior to a government-initiated bill, C-8, now being considered in Parliament. In the initial plans to put a price […] Read more
Border blockade hurts ag sector the most
A disrupted international border in southern Alberta has garnered global attention. Supporters from across Western Canada have flocked to the site and contributed money to protesters so they can maintain their dispute with governments regarding pandemic-related mandates. It is unlikely the protesters will be the victors in this effort but some of the immediate losers […] Read more
Multiple factors at play for fertilizer price increase
Pressures on commodity fertilizer prices are similar to those on grains and oilseeds. Supply isn’t meeting demand and costs are up. Some farm groups and many producers question the legitimacy of rising costs and they want answers. Prices on the Prairies for urea have more than tripled in the past two years and so have […] Read more
Grain contract issues show system’s flaws
Contracts for agricultural production can provide stability to farmers’ incomes and buyers’ supplies, but farmers bear the main burdens of deal uncertainty. Ironically, contracts are supposed to mitigate farmers’ risk. Grain contracts have been around for decades. Some farmers began using them after the Canadian Wheat Board ended. Others got on board later, when commodity […] Read more
Benchmarks must recognize practical farm sustainability
Crushing canola as close to the field as possible meets a few goals the prairie agriculture industry has had for more than 40 years. As new capacity meets burgeoning biofuel demand, which in turn is likely to spark competitive pricing, producers may be tempted to push rotations and pay less attention to sustainability goals. As […] Read more
CUSMA dairy decision shows two winners?
American trade officials and Canadian ministers both claimed victory last week in a dairy issue that was once again a bone of contention. But bluster doesn’t make it so, regardless of side. In December 2020, with the ink nicely dry on the Canada-United States-Mexico Trade Agreement, the Americans launched complaints against Canada’s supply-managed dairy industry. […] Read more
Cattle production victim of widespread story telling
Cows aren’t the new coal and they aren’t the new Tesla. Catchy as the recent Time Magazine headline, “Cows are the new coal”, may have been, it isn’t true. But it does fit nicely into a well-crafted and biased narrative that now plagues the cattle industry. Carbon is used by plants to create feed for […] Read more
Gene editing another necessary tool for farmers
When is good science not acceptable science? When some folks disagree with its outcomes? That disagreement rose to a fever pitch last April when Health Canada declared gene-edited crops and precision breeding tools safe and launched a public consultation process with Canadians. Results from the consultation are expected soon. A coalition of 16 groups, known […] Read more
Gov’t. scapegoats farmers
A church leader sends a goat into the wild after the sins of the congregation are symbolically piled upon its back. It sounds a bit like what the Saskatchewan government did last week when its budget report to voters made farmers into scapegoats. The provincial finance ministry played fast and loose with the wording of […] Read more
