Prairie agricultural commodities must be able to reach tidewater or there won’t be an industry. It’s as simple as that. That is why a recent presentation by Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation is so alarming. The director of the foundation’s Trade and Investment Centre told the CrossRoads Crop Conference in Calgary that Canada […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial — page 8
Tax on barn heating misses climate purpose
The whole point of carbon pricing is to convince Canadians to change their behaviour and use less fossil fuel. In some instances, this can be effective. People who drive more fuel-efficient vehicles or install more fuel-efficient furnaces will save money by paying less carbon tax. That’s how carbon pricing is supposed to work. But what […] Read more
EU farmer demands don’t all favour Canada
Canadian farmers may watch what’s happening on the streets of Europe this winter with a mixture of envy and admiration. Producers in the European Union have made it clear to their governments that they’re mad as heck and aren’t going to take it anymore. The list of grievances is long, ranging from onerous red tape […] Read more
Canada grows a spine in U.K. trade exchange
The federal government has finally grown a backbone regarding trade with the United Kingdom. Cattle producers have been infuriated for years over the dramatic disparity in beef and pork trade between the two countries. It started when Canada signed a free trade agreement with the European Union in 2016. The deal was touted as a […] Read more
Cattle producers must be part of a methane win-win
Everybody likes win-win situations, but they can be awfully difficult to accomplish. This country’s recent focus on methane emissions from cattle is one such issue that is crying out for a win-win. The federal government published preliminary plans late last month that it hopes will encourage producers to make changes that would cut emissions from […] Read more
Doing right thing best way to counter anti-meat threat
The existence of groups actively trying to eliminate meat consumption is no secret. They may hide behind issues such as water preservation, climate change, public health or animal welfare, but make no mistake — the end goal for these groups is a world in which we are all vegans. It’s tempting to dismiss these organizations […] Read more
Pulse growers navigate a fork in seed road
It’s not a good idea to make sweeping generalizations based on discussions at one farm meeting. However, results of a debate at the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers annual meeting in Saskatoon last week do seem to indicate farmers are getting more comfortable with paying royalties on seed, though attendees might not interpret the meeting in quite […] Read more
Canada should look to trade barriers within
There are many reasons to be unhappy with interprovincial trade barriers, not least of which is the hypocrisy of a country that demands free trade from its international partners while not getting its own house in order. But given the current economic climate, there is another concern on the list: affordability. Just about everyone has […] Read more
Great Christmas gifts: tolerance, charity, respect
Just in time for Christmas, the Fraser Institute has released a report showing that the number of Canadians donating to charity hit a 20 year low in 2021. According to the think-tank, only 17.7 percent of tax filers donated in that tax year. As well, charitable donations fell to 0.55 percent of income in 2021 […] Read more
Now the real work begins for ag climate action
Farmers and their organizations should pay close attention to the declaration on “sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action,” signed this month by 134 countries, including Canada. The declaration released early during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai is vague and offers little explanation as to how its goal of urgently transforming agriculture will […] Read more
