Canadian National Railway’s grain shipping is back to its pre-strike pace, the railway says. “By the second week of December (week 19), CN returned to shipping at peak levels, as well as taking on all customer hopper demand for the second and third weeks of December,” Montreal-based CN said in a release Thursday. “Despite a
CN reports grain movement back at pre-strike pace
Rethinking the Green Revolution
Canada needs to ‘swing for the fences’ and transform its agriculture, says a new discussion paper
The climate change and farm income crisis have many of the same causes and solutions, according to a major new discussion paper. Cutting back on petroleum-based inputs, including nitrogen fertilizer, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and increase net farm incomes by lowering input costs. The result: more farmers and revitalized rural communities, says the
Are Canadian farmers in crisis?
According to the NFU they are, but FCC says despite tougher times the sector remains financially sound
The National Farmers Union (NFU) says Canadian farmers are in financial crisis, but Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is less pessimistic. Farmers are facing tougher times, but not like in the 1980s, J.P. Gervais, FCC’s vice-president and chief agricultural economist, said in an interview Dec. 2. “I wouldn’t call this a crisis,” he said. After several
Sequestering carbon won’t solve climate change
Some farmers say they’ve already done their bit for climate change through reduced tillage, but it’s a dubious argument, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU). “We should not become confused by claims that we can somehow fix the climate crisis by pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and ‘sequestering’ it in soils,” says an
‘Union farmers’ a family affair at Lowe Farm
The Harder family says the NFU is a necessary, and often ahead of its time, voice in farm policy debates as the organization turns 50
Lowe Farm seed grower Wilf (Butch) Harder used one of his characteristic quick-witted comebacks last week in answer to a friend’s observation that he doesn’t fit the stereotype of a National Farmers Union member. “Just because you’re a socialist doesn’t mean you have to be poor,” quipped Harder, as he celebrated the farm organization’s 50th
Canada still has high-quality milling wheat to sell
But it may not be as easy to access following harvest challenges across the Prairies
A tough harvest has hit quality, but Western Canada still has the high-quality milling wheat it is famous for. That’s the message prospective buyers will hear at seminars this fall and early winter in Asia, Latin America, Italy, and North and West Africa. The events are organized by Cereals Canada, the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC)
Mildew top degrading factor for CWRS grades No. 2, 3 and CW Feed
Based on early samples assessed by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) through its Harvest Sample Program this fall, sprout damage was not the top factor reducing the grade of western Canadian wheat in the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) class. The single biggest degrading factor was mildew affecting 24.7 per cent of the No. 2,
MASC harvest production reports deadline Dec. 2
Farmers who file online will find out right away if they are in a claim position
The deadline for Manitoba farmers to submit crop insurance Harvest Production Reports to the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) is Dec. 2, whether the farmer completed harvest or not. Both the paper and online report forms should be easier for farmers to fill out because less information is now required, David Van Deynze, MASC’s vice-president
Pallister committed to education tax phase out
That’s just one of several election promises included in the new Manitoba government’s throne speech
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says he’s committed to phasing out education taxes on farmland and other property over 10 years starting in 2022 when the Manitoba government’s books are expected to be balanced. It’s a promise welcomed by farmers who say the burden of funding schools in rural areas has shifted disproportionally to them because
How to market low falling number wheat
Know what you have and start talking to buyers about what they need
Know the quality of your crop, including the falling number of wheat, and start talking to buyers. That’s the advice commodity groups and grain companies have for farmers as they struggle to finish the harvest from hell and try to sell what’s in the bin, including wheat with widely varying falling numbers across the Prairies.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
