News & Opinion
Manitoba's 2026 budget expands farm support programs with higher loan limits, new insurance incentives and $143.7M in agricultural funding.
News & Opinion
Manitoba’s 2026 budget boosts loan limits, insurance and farm support programs
Finance Minister Adrien Sala announces $143.7 million in ag funding, a new forage insurance discount and higher Young Farmer Rebate caps
Hormuz-driven fertilizer shortage could raise grain prices, Goldman Sachs says
Disruptions to nitrogen fertilizer supply through the Strait of Hormuz could reduce global grain yields and shift planting decisions, potentially lifting grain prices, Goldman Sachs said in a report on Tuesday.
4R compliance comes up short
Fertilizer Canada survey finds fewer than 13 million acres met 4R standards in 2024, with soil testing gaps and missing nutrient plans driving the shortfall
Most Canadian farmers think they follow 4R practices, but a Fertilizer Canada survey found far fewer acres actually meet the standard.
Russia stops ammonium nitrate exports for one month amid global supply crunch
Russia, which controls up to 40 per cent of the global trade in ammonium nitrate, said on Tuesday it will stop exports of the fertilizer for one month until April 21 to ensure sufficient supply during the spring planting season.
Manitoba farmland values jumped 12.2% in 2025, biggest gain in Canada
Despite cooling land-market predictions, province posts strongest gains as land supply stays tight and expansion-focused producers vie for acres.
Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers built success through diversification
Oakburn couple launched equipment assembly and seed businesses to support multi-generational grain operation
Braden and Misty Drul of Oakburn, Man., earned Manitoba's Outstanding Young Farmers 2026 award for building a multi-generational operation through diversification. With land prices rising, they launched an equipment assembly business and Pioneer seed dealership to create revenue streams that support two families.
Fertilizer prices are spiking — here’s what Manitoba farmers need to know before seeding
The Iran war has thrown global nitrogen supply into chaos, but farm management specialist Darren Bond says cold, hard numbers — not fear — should drive your spring decisions
Fertilizer prices have jumped nearly 30 per cent since the Iran conflict intensified in late February. Manitoba Agriculture's Darren Bond says detailed cost-of-production planning is the best way farmers can manage the risk heading into seeding.
FCC raises inflation forecast on surging commodity prices
Canadian consumers may have little if any cushion remaining against future economic shocks, ag lender warns
Farm Credit Canada has raised its 2026 forecast for overall inflation as commodity prices spike due to war in the Middle East.
U.S. urges WTO members to rethink core tariff rule in face of China threat
The Trump administration on Monday urged World Trade Organization members to rethink the body’s core principle of “Most Favored Nation” bound tariff rates, arguing in a new position paper that this has led to discriminatory practices and imbalanced trade, including with China.
Fertilizer industry optimistic as Ottawa commits to cutting red tape
CFIA extends bulk fertilizer labelling deadline to 2027 and pledges to work with industry on cost-effective alternatives
Federal ministers and bureaucrats are now willing to modify or eliminate unhelpful regulations, including a rule that required complex bilingual labels on fertilizer delivered to Canadian farms. The CFIA extended the bulk fertilizer labelling deadline to July 2027.