Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaks to media in Winnipeg on Feb. 13, 2020. (Dave Bedard photo)

Leaders ‘encouraged’ by collaborative approach to sustainability strategy

Most interests are represented around the table, but one group fears the strategy will saddle farmers with costs, rules

Ag leaders say they’re pleased to see the federal government strike a collaborative tone as it begins consultations over its Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, but not all are so optimistic. Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has signaled she’s not approaching the process with “preconceived notions,” said Stuart Oke, chair of the National Farmers Union’s climate committee.

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Railways over revenue cap in drought year, CTA finds

CN, CP now owe $5.7 million in overages, penalties

Despite a dramatically lower Prairie grain handle in the last crop year, the Western Grains Research Foundation can expect a $5.7 million gift card from Canada’s big two railways by the end of next month. The Canadian Transportation Agency, which sets the maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) each crop year for Prairie grain handled by Canadian


Lentils. (Seb_ra/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Tightening Canadian lentil stocks expected

Pea ending stocks more comfortable

MarketsFarm — Carryout stocks of Canadian lentils could tighten to their smallest level in seven years by the end of the current 2022-23 marketing year, according to updated supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While lentil production of 2.3 million tonnes was up by 44 per cent from the drought-stricken 2021-22 crop, expectations for

“During this time of high interest rates, it’s becoming more imperative for producers to use low-interest financing tools.” – Syeda Khurram.

Farmers cash in on interest-free loans

This summer the federal government upped the interest-free portion of the Advance Payments Program

Manitoba administrators of the Advance Payments Program say clients are making use of the increased interest-free portion and borrowing more money. “The amount of the advances have [increased] significantly,” said Randy Ozunko, who manages the program for the Manitoba Pork Council. The APP is federally funded and administered by producer groups. It offers up to


(4loops/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Pea prices hold steady in weak market

Values expected to soften in new year

MarketsFarm — Prices for green and yellow peas in Western Canada have remained quite steady over the last week, largely due to the lack of demand, according to Darwin Hamilton of Kalshea Commodities in Winnipeg. “North American peas are more expensive than the peas coming out of Eastern Europe. A lot of that product is

The SWOT spacecraft is moved into a transport container inside the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 18, 2022. (Photo: USSF 30th Space Wing/Chris Okula)

NASA to conduct first global water survey from space

Data would bolster weather and climate forecasts

Los Angeles | Reuters — A NASA-led international satellite mission was set for blastoff from southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science project to conduct a comprehensive survey of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time. Dubbed SWOT, short for Surface Water and Ocean Topography, the advanced radar satellite


File photo of a train in Belarus. (Dimarik/iStock/Getty Images)

Belarus to allow Ukraine grain transit with no preconditions, U.N. says

Belarus still wants sanctions lifted off fertilizer

United Nations | Reuters — Belarus told the United Nations on Friday that it would allow, without preconditions, the transit of grain from Ukraine through its territory for export from Lithuanian ports, a U.N. spokesman said. Belarus, used by its ally Russia as a staging ground for Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, said in

Lentils. (Seb_ra/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Smaller-than-expected lentil crop may limit exports

MarketsFarm — Smaller-than-expected Canadian lentil production in 2022-23 could limit the country’s export potential going forward, according to an official with Pulse Canada reacting to the latest production estimates. The report from Statistics Canada (StatCan) released Friday contains the first survey-based production estimates of the 2022-23 marketing year, while previous ones used satellite imagery. Most


(Stoller Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Corteva to buy biological plant stimulant firm Stoller

Corteva paying US$1.2 billion cash

One of the majors in seed and crop protection is set to further expand its reach in the crop biologicals sector with a deal to buy the Stoller Group. Corteva Agriscience said Wednesday it had signed a “definitive agreement” to buy Houston-based Stoller in an all-cash acquisition worth US$1.2 billion (C$1.61 billion), which it expects

(Dave Bedard photo)

StatCan data show smaller Canadian canola, durum production

Report also logs more barley, oats than previous estimates

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers grew less canola and durum than originally thought in 2022, but more barley and oats, according to updated production estimates from Statistics Canada released Friday. “There were both bullish and bearish surprises,” MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville said. While canola production of 18.174 million tonnes was still up considerably from the