Three senior United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) managers altered scientific documents to support the EPA’s decision to extend the registration of the herbicide dicamba in 2018, contrary to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy. That’s the conclusion of the EPA’s office of inspector general (OIG) in its report released May 24. The EPA’s decision to extend
Management interference flagged in Environmental Protection Agency’s dicamba decision
Office of inspector general says decision ran counter to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy
Carbon offsets not the right policy says NFU
The National Farmers Union says to instead incentivize farmers to preserve and enhance their soil
[UPDATED: June 4, 2021] Carbon offsets for Canadian farmers aren’t the way to mitigate climate change in Canada, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU). Paying farmers to store more carbon in their soil by selling credits to carbon emitters is touted as a way for farmers to earn more revenue and cut carbon emissions.
StatsCan shows 2020 farm income up significantly
Farm cash receipts were up more than expenses
Canadian farm income, no matter how it’s measured, was up a lot in 2020, data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada show. Canadian net farm income of $18.1 billion is up $4.8 billion from 2019 — a 36.5 per cent increase. Another measure — realized net farm income (RNFI) — saw farmers take in $9.9 billion,
Grain sector says government should fund Grain Research Lab
Strong support for work done, calls for more government support
The Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) Grain Research Laboratory (GRL) is a public good and therefore the Canadian government should fund its work, rather the grain sector. That’s a recommendation a number of farm and grain industry groups make in their submissions to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) review of the Canada Grain Act and the
Looks like U.S., Canada have more policies in common
The new administration supports trade, science- based decisions and GHG cuts, says Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack
The new United States administration supports free trade, science-based decision-making and climate change mitigation. And it’s seeking like-minded allies for all three. “From a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) perspective what we are interested in is building alliances of like-minded nations on agriculture, on the role of innovation in agriculture, and on the steps that agriculture needs to take in connection with climate… ”
Flax Council of Canada seeks new members
After closing its doors three years ago the council is making a comeback
[UPDATED: June 1, 2021] A reinvigorated Flax Council of Canada (FCC) is looking for new members as it focuses on market access issues, says its new CEO Wayne Thompson. “We’ve got a lot of players in the flax industry that haven’t been part of the Flax Council of Canada before,” Thompson said in an interview
Grain commission proposes big inspection fee cut
Effective Aug. 1 the cost of outward inspection would be cut by 29 per cent
The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), whose role in Canadian grain quality assurance is under federal review, wants to cut its fees for four official grain inspection and official grain weighing services effective Aug. 1, the start of the new crop year. The change will save Canada’s grain sector millions of dollars over the next three
Cereals Canada, Grain Growers of Canada favour private grain inspectors over CGC
AAFC is compiling the feedback and will publish a summary on its website
Cereals Canada and the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) want inspectors from private companies to replace the mandatory inspection currently done by Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) staff on Canadian grain exported by ship. Their positions are in submissions to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AAFC, which is reviewing the Canada Grain Act and the CGC’s role
Old-crop canola price records keep falling
New-crop prices are strong, but how much will farmers sell given rising drought fears?
Bill Craddock has seen a lot in his 52 years speculating in grain futures markets, but never $1,000-a-tonne canola on the crusher’s driveway — until last week that is. On May 5 Manitoba farmers could lock in canola at $1,021 a tonne ($23.15 a bushel) with Altona crusher Bunge for delivery Aug. 1 to 15,
New-crop insurance feature lets farmers pay for higher canola values
Farmers who lock in higher canola prices can use the Contract Price Option to backstop some of the production risk
As of last week farmers could lock in $16 to $17 a bushel new-crop canola, but the spectre of drought may discourage some from pre-selling as much as they would if it wasn’t so dry. It’s hard not to take advantage of such strong prices. And while there’s no guarantee, odds are they will likely
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