Canadian dairy farmers are getting smaller when it comes to their impact on the environment, says a study done for Dairy Farmers of Canada by Groupe AGECO. The Canadian dairy sector has achieved one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world and every litre of milk it produces creates one-third of the greenhouse gas
Dairy producers’ carbon footprint keeps shrinking
The improvements are the result of the ready adoption of new practices by the sector, according to a recent study
Farm income: a dip and now holding
Canadian farm income fell on market volatility, but export growth is still likely, says FCC
Final figures aren’t available yet but all signs suggest farm income in 2018 was clipped by several factors and will likely stay at that level through this year, says J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist with Farm Credit Canada. “Price volatility, higher input costs and weather-related challenges in many parts of the country over the past
Hog and cattle producers are facing a year of mixed profitability
Uncertainty may be the main certainty of 2019 as feed costs and consumer demand are unknowns
Hog and cattle producers face a year of uncertainty about feed and other operating costs as well as how strong the domestic and international demand for meat might be, says Farm Credit Canada. In an outlook, FCC said the top economic trends facing the producers will be the extent of China’s meat demand, muted feed
New federal drone rules will be a boon to farmers
Previous rules discouraged producers from using them to check crops and livestock
New federal rules for operating drones will make it a lot simpler for farmers to include them in their operations, says the president of a Winnipeg-based company that trains drone operators. Matthew Johnson, president and CEO of M3 Aerial Productions, said the move is a necessary one. “For a long time farmers have been testing
Grain growers face year of contemplation: FCC
There’s a lot of what-ifs and maybes out there for growers to consider
Deciding what crops to plant this year will require lots of consideration of the various economic and political forces at play in the domestic and export grain trade, says Farm Credit Canada. In its 2019 crop outlook, FCC cites many factors to think about before making final planting decisions. Chief among them are “China’s oversized
Feds open agriculture tech competition
The federal government is offering up to $50 million in funding for agri-food automation and digital technology projects
If you’ve got a bright idea for bringing artificial intelligence and advanced digital technology to the agri-food sector, you could find a lot of federal funding support. Jean-Claude Poissant, parliamentary secretary for agri-food, recently announced a funding competition for national-scale initiatives in automation and digital technology applications in the agri-food sector with between $10 million
Lawrence who?
Poll finds Canada's agri-food minister has low recognition among voters
An Angus Reid public opinion poll about the performance of the Trudeau cabinet shows only half of Canadians could recognize Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and not quite a quarter of those who could, think he’s doing a good job. He’s included in a group Angus Reid called the ‘middle ministers,’ many of whom are relatively
Menzies urges farmers to prioritize their mental health
Former farm leader and cabinet minister Ted Menzies says their unique work environment adds to stress on farmers
A well-known and respected farm voice has lent his voice to the growing chorus calling for farmers to mind their mental health. Former farm leader and federal cabinet minister Ted Menzies had a blunt and personal message about farmers for the Commons agriculture committee, which is studying mental health issues in agriculture. “We’re very reluctant
CFA and CCFI to lead development of public trust strategy
The federal government is putting up the dollars but is letting industry drive the bus
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has awarded about $440,000 to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) to develop a strategy to boost consumer confidence in food. CFA’s role in the strategy development will be to manage and administer the process nationally through the Public Trust Steering Committee (PTSC). It
Federal consultation on new seed royalties will stretch into next year
Public meetings are over but smaller-scale discussions will continue in the coming weeks and months
After four public meetings with farmers and the seed industry, a federal consultation on proposals for changes to plant breeders’ rights is moving to individual discussions and group sessions. Following the last public meeting Nov. 30 in Ottawa, officials from Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will spend time assessing all the input
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
