Dry crops and high prices increase the temptation to add water to grain before delivery to increase weight and volume. It is a dangerous practice and the dangers are not limited to the risk of getting caught and sanctioned. The bigger problem is potential damage it can do to the Canadian reputation for providing quality […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
EU farmers always manage to get what they want
How do they do it? In spite of large, professional European bureaucracies and huge urban voting pools, farmers in Europe seem able to keep the attentions of their politicians and the public and thus maintain significant support. American producers also seem able to use the power of their organizations’ lobbying and their votes to maintain […] Read more
Recent JBS cyberattack shows wider vulnerability
The North American food system found itself struggling last week under the weight of news that JBS, the world’s largest meat packer, had been hacked by miscreants. The company temporarily halted some operations to deal with resulting computer network issues. Computer criminals based in Russia have been targeting North American businesses and extorting payments in […] Read more
Nine billion people or not? Producers need new focus
A few years from now, in about 2028, there will be eight billion people on the planet. The possibility of growing to nine billion, a 2050 United Nations’ projection, has captivated speakers in the food and agriculture realm for the past 15 years. But now there’s growing skepticism about that predicted growth. A global population […] Read more
Taxation rules need review in farm transfer cases
Taxes are inevitable unless you can convince governments that they are unfair or impractical. This week the Canadian Senate has the job of considering a private member’s bill that passed the House of Commons and would potentially reduce the cost of passing on a farm to a family member. Farmland has grown in value over […] Read more
U.S. ag pollution study has Canadian implications
Farming, like most industrial activities, generates byproducts from its operations. Those can generate headlines. It can be difficult to determine which byproducts and which headlines are important for the sector to address. A recently released study, the first of its kind, has generated headlines across North America about American livestock operations located in highly populated […] Read more
Global trade a bulwark against economic challenge
Self-reliance is a laudable attribute in some instances but it’s not one Canadians should consider for themselves, or encourage in others, when agriculture is involved. We’re exporters. Our economy is structured around building stuff, growing stuff, digging stuff up and then shipping it out. Exports are about 33 percent of our gross domestic product, about […] Read more
Easier to raise myths than sustainably produced beef
The beef with beef is spreading. It’s spreading myths. It’s spreading misinformation. And, it’s spreading a danger to the environment. A little bit of truth can go a long way toward making a lie seem right. Concerns about beef most recently arose following a move by food publisher Epicurious. The well-known online food site has […] Read more
Budget’s agriculture focus should not be overlooked
Canada could set bigger goals, but more budgets like the one tabled last week will be needed in the future, with greater focus on the realities of agriculture. Several farm groups have congratulated the federal government on the agriculture content within the latest federal budget. For the most part, they are right to do so. […] Read more
Future of feather sector acknowledged in payments
Poultry and egg producers got what they were looking for last week when the federal government announced investment funding to compensate for market losses due to the Comprehensive and Progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) deal. The dairy and feather supply-managed sectors have been promised compensation in exchange for increased international access to Canadian markets. […] Read more
