Farm consolidation is good, cultured meat has a rosy future and the carbon tax needs greater analysis. Sylvain Charlebois, Canada’s self-described ‘Food Professor’ and director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, elaborated on those points in a wide-ranging talk at the September Canadian National Millers Association’s annual meeting in Montebello, Que. “I think consolidation is
Farm consolidation good for Canadian agriculture
Sylvain Charlebois holds forth on Canadian agriculture and food
Oversold forward contracts ongoing issue at KAP
The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) wants to help members — but sometimes finding a solution that pleases everyone is tough. Take for example the plight of many farmers who priced and contracted to deliver more grain to elevators in 2021-22 than they produced due to the drought. Wilfred (Butch) Harder, who farms at Lowe Farm, complained during KAP’s districts meeting online Dec.
Still hope for improvements to AgriStability
KAP says co-operation to address drought a positive sign for risk management negotiations
It appears the major AgriStability overhaul many farmers want is unlikely any time soon, but Bill Campbell is optimistic improvements can still be made. “I think moving forward there will be some modifications and some improvements to the program,” Campbell, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), said in an interview Dec. 8, the day
Elevators hope mandatory vaccination doesn’t disrupt operations
New regulations will require all federally regulated employees to comply early in 2022
Canada’s major companies hope their operations won’t be disrupted when Ottawa requires federally regulated employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting early in 2022. “It depends on whether employees that aren’t vaccinated will get vaccinated, or would they leave their jobs,” Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) said in an interview
CWRS quantity down, but quality up
Drought cut wheat yields but not quality, says the CGC’s chief grain inspector Derek Bunkowsky
This year western Canadian farmers harvested a high-quality Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat crop — albeit a smaller one due to drought. Ninety per cent of the 3,500 or so samples submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) through its annual Harvest Sample Program fell into the top two grades. Almost 96 per cent
Higher seed crop certification fees coming
Seed growers have endorsed the increase, but others in the industry say it’s going to undermine the competitiveness of certified seed
The cost to certify seed in Canada is going up. And despite a vote overwhelmingly in favour of it, some stakeholders are unhappy at the news. Canadian Seed Grower’s Association (CSGA) members voted 111 to 16 to increase fees to certify Canadian seed crops starting in 2022 during a special general meeting online Nov. 24.
Proposed CWB class action suit takes another step
LEGAL | Lawyer Anders Bruun says he’s confident the certification application will be successful
A class-action lawsuit against the Government of Canada and G3 Canada Limited, alleging millions of dollars of farmers’ money was improperly used to privatize the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) in 2012, is a step closer to certification. In Winnipeg Nov. 22 Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Chris Martin heard from lawyers representing the plaintiff and defence
U.S. leadership needed to push freer agriculture trade
Trade negotiation insiders say bilateralism won’t go away, but overarching rules enforcement needed
Huge gains in freeing up global agricultural trade in the 1990s and early 2000s came about through American leadership — and it’s needed again. So says Mike Gifford, Canada’s chief agricultural trade negotiator before retiring in 2000. “I know it’s in some ways easier to do bilateral or regional trade agreements, but you’ve got to
Grain contract losses an eligible AgriStability expense
The NFU wants a mandatory ‘act of God’ contract clause but a veteran grain trader says it won’t fly
Farmers who lost money because they forward sold more crop than they grew can claim that as an expense under AgriStability. And Manitoba farmers not enrolled can still join the risk management program, but with a 20 per cent penalty on payouts. That’s the message Stewart Wells wants every farmer to hear. The Swift Current,
Premium prices for premium peas
Roquette’s new Portage facility wants food-grade peas and will help farmers produce them
Roquette wants sustainably produced, premium field peas for its new $600-million pea-processing Portage la Prairie facility — the world’s biggest — and is paying a premium price to get them. “Generally speaking we pay a $1 bushel for the Environmental Farm Plan and the traceability reports that they (farmers) do for us,” Derek MacLean, Roquette’s senior grain buyer,
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