Daily Network News

More News →

Tag Archives National Farmers Union

A section of road is underwater stranding a vehicle after flooding near Waterloo, Neb. on March 18, 2019. (Handout photo by Ryan Hignight/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, via Reuters)
Weather

U.S. Midwest’s catastrophic floods cause widespread damage

By
Brownville, Neb. | Reuters — Severe flooding caused by rainfall and melting snow devastated farms and towns in Nebraska and Iowa on Tuesday, leaving at least four people dead and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, with waters yet to crest in parts of the region for several days. The floods inundated stretches
Wheat seeds spilling from hand, close-up
Opinion, Other

Opinion: The backstory on Seed Synergy

By
Over the last two months farmers have become aware of an ominous drive, co-ordinated by elements of Canada’s seed industry and financially aided by our federal government, that is attempting to eliminate our right to freely save and reuse our own seed. This story actually begins in 1990, when the Canadian government adopted the UPOV
Private sector seed research spending trends.
News

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

By
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
Non-royalty wheats will continue to be an option
Cereals, News

Non-royalty wheats will continue to be an option

Industry officials say seed companies are unlikely to deregister varieties to limit farmers’ choices in an effort to collect more royalty money

By
If new proposed cereal royalties are implemented farmers will pay more for seed, but they can also choose to grow varieties not covered by the new regulations. That’s according to Plant Breeders’ Rights Commissioner Anthony Parker. But for how long? At least 2021 and probably longer, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which oversees seed
Farmers pay royalties on certified seed, but the seed industry says it’s an insufficient amount because farmers sow such a high percentage of farm-saved seed.
Crops, News

NFU rejects proposed cereal seed royalties

It says the seed industry wants more money from farmers with no guarantees it will make farmers better off

By
Proposals for new royalties on cereal seed, if adopted, will extract more money from Canadian farmers without guaranteeing they’ll benefit, according to Terry Boehm. He is chair of the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) seeds committee and a former NFU president. “This is the end-game,” Boehm, who farms bear Colonsay, Sask., told reporters during a telephone
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay says U.S. wheat will be treated exactly like Canadian wheat which means unregistered varieties will automatically receive the lowest grade.
News

MacAulay clarifies USMCA, wheat grading, dairy compensation

The minister also briefed reporters on his EU trade mission last week

By
American wheat entering a Canadian elevator will be graded like Canadian wheat under terms of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), says Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. That means to be eligible for a Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) grade, wheat, whether grown in the U.S. or Canada, must be from a variety registered in Canada.
News, Other

Consultation on plant variety royalty options soon starting

The seed sector says the goal is encouraging more plant-breeding investment in Canada

By
Federal government consultations on ways to encourage more investment in plant breeding will start this fall, says Todd Hyra, president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) and SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada. “It’s really about how to generate investment for plant breeders, incent investment by new innovators that want to come to Canada
wheat head
News

Grain commission changes recommended by Agri-Food Table report

It claims changes to wheat class standards will make Canada more competitive

By
Changes to how the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) regulates Canada’s grain industry are needed to ensure industry competitiveness, an Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table report concludes. To that end the report recommends the CGC accredit private companies to do the CGC’s mandatory outward weighing and inspection. It also says the wheat class system “needs to take
Canada’s variety registration and grading system focuses on delivering a high-quality and consistent product end-users can trust, says NFU vice-president Cam Goff.
Cereals, News

NFU fears grain-grading system to be sacrificed under NAFTA

Cereals Canada says a deal can be reached to satisfy both Canada and the U.S.

By
Is Canada’s wheat quality assurance system under threat in the current NAFTA talks? The National Farmers Union says Canada needs to be on guard against U.S. efforts to destroy it. “Canada’s grain-grading system is the key to our international competitiveness, particularly for wheat,” Terry Boehm, chair of the NFU’s trade committee, said in a news
Farmers who experienced economic hardships in the 1980s are concerned history may be poised to repeat itself.
News, Other

Protectionism, a trade war and U.S. farm subsidies

Is the stage being set for an economic downturn in agriculture?

By
Rising protectionism and an expanding trade war have some Manitoba farmers worried about a repeat of the 1980s farm crisis. “I don’t want to be a pessimist like my son says I am, but what is the next thing that causes the ’80s all over again? A worldwide trade war could be the black swan

AgCanadaTV

AgCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for Feb. 27, 2026

Sponsored by:
More Videos →

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast

Latest Market News

More Market News →