Cattle Producers Call For Price Insurance Coverage

“This is an area where we’ve been short every time.” – MARTIN UNRAU, MCPA Canada’s free-enterprise cattle producers have taken a radical step in risk management by asking for a government-run price insurance program. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association recently called for a national cattle price and basis insurance program to guard against drastic dips in

Myths Distort Canadian Farm Policy

“(T)he argument that we need to subsidize farming in case the world collapses and we need to supply ourselves simply makes no sense. Myths exist about the strategic position of food, the importance of the family farm to the preservation of rural Canada, and the need to defend Canadian farming in the face of European


Policy Shifts Can Be Penny-Wise But Dollar Foolish

The 1996 Farm Bill’s elimination of the grain storage program, coupled with the elimination of an acreage management program, increased the cost to taxpayers for farm programs by an average of $5.7 billion a year. During the debate over the 1996 Farm Bill, the proponents for eliminating a government stock program argued that the traditional

Canada Must Be Cautious In Trade Talks

Canada has good reasons to be leery of the outcome of the negotiations for a new world trade agreement, says veteran trade observer Peter Clark. “We bought and paid for in the Uruguay round better behaviour by other countries on their subsidies,” he told the Commons agriculture committee June 2. “It hasn’t been delivered. We’re


Northern Agriculture Gets A Boost

Aprogram to encourage the expansion of agriculture production and to increase the availability of locally produced healthy foods in northern Manitoba was jointly announced May 28 by Treasury Board president Vic Toews and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk. “Northern Manitoba offers many real and untapped opportunities for sustainable development in agriculture

Trade Risk In Emerging-Country Farm Policies

Steps taken by major emerging economies to counter food price volatility and spur farm development have in many cases undermined international trade, the OECD said March 17. In a report on farm policy in seven emerging countries – Brazil, Chile, China, India, Russia, South Africa and Ukraine – the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development


Obama Pledges To Lower Farm Subsidies

President Barack Obama’s pledge to cut subsidies to big U. S. farm businesses falls short of the cuts needed to revive mor ibund world trade talks, proponents of an expanded global trade agreement said Feb. 25. “Anything that would reduce payments to farmers in the U. S. would be looked on favour-ably by the rest

Supply response to high prices is a lasting one

The steep ramp-up of grain and oilseed prices over a couple of years only to drop by one-half in a matter of three or four months has been extremely confusing to lots of folks. The fact that the 50 per cent drop took place so quickly was a surprise – it usually takes a couple


EU spotlights large farms in subsidy reform debate

Europe’s farmers, especially the wealthiest ones, may see the end of a string of “old-style” subsidy schemes next year as agriculture ministers negotiate the most ambitious policy reforms in five years. European Union farm ministers met Nov. 19 to negotiate and finalize an agreement on a series of proposed changes to the Common Agricultural Policy

Farmers must embrace free market opportunities

I farm full time at MacGregor, Man. Over the years I have been involved in farm policy issues, particularly grain transportation and marketing. It has become clear to me that the only way for the wheat and barley industry to become more prosperous for farmers and their communities is to embrace free market opportunities, with