National Farmers Union Archives - Page 6 of 28

Lowe Farm farmer Butch Harder told the seed growers’ meeting he opposes additional royalties for cereal breeders, calling the plan a “seed tax.”

The ‘value capture’ conundrum

A proposal to better compensate cereal breeders will almost certainly cost farmers more  either when they buy seed or when they deliver grain to the elevator

By Allan Dawson March 2, 2018

Some call it a cereals ‘seed tax’ while others say it’s an investment in improved varieties. Either way, Canadian farmers face paying more for new varieties, or when they deliver the crop, if one of two proposed new “value capture” models is implemented by the federal government in 2019. “We want Canada to continue to

Comment, Crops

If we are going to have a farm program, supply management makes the most sense

Revenue supports could break the cycle of over- and undersupply of agriculture commodities

By Daryll E. Ray, Harwood D. Schaffer December 8, 2017

The Texas Farmers Union contracted with the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center to develop a design for the commodity title of the 2018 Farm Bill based on supply management principles. Supply management, as a way to tackle the chronic price/income problems faced by farmers, has been out of favour in the U.S. for at least the

Ontario general farm organization fee increasing

By GFM Network News, John Greig December 1, 2017

Ontario farmers will be paying more for their representation by their general farm organizations in 2018 after the government approved a $30 increase. The annual fee will be $225 plus HST for membership in the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario or National Farmers Union-Ontario. All registered farmers have to pay the

Coral Sproule, shown here speaking at a Day of Action to Stop GM Alfalfa event in Ottawa in 2013, is the new president of the National Farmers Union. (Cban.ca)

Crops

Ontario vegetable grower to lead NFU

By GFM Network News, Manitoba Co-operator Staff November 27, 2017

An eastern Ontario vegetable grower and women’s leader with the National Farmers Union since 2014 has been picked as the Canada-wide organization’s new chief. Coral Sproule, who operates a CSA (community-supported agriculture) vegetable farm at Perth, Ont. was elected NFU president at the organization’s convention last week in Ottawa, replacing Jan Slomp of Courtenay, B.C.

Cereals, Opinion

Stand up for our grain grading system

It would be a mistake to alter the Canadian Grain Act to allow U.S. grain to enter our system

By Stewart Wells October 23, 2017

In 2014, a longtime advocate for grain trade deregulation and a former researcher for the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association was quoted in the ag press as saying, “I don’t remember one serious conversation about market power and the dangers it imposed.” Apparently that conversation still hasn’t happened for the farmers who are lobbying to

Lowe Farm farmer Butch Harder expressed concerns about changes to KAP’s checkoff legislation at KAP’s advisory council meeting in Brandon July 13.

Local news

KAP hopes improved checkoff ready for its next fiscal year

Under proposed changes, partial checkoff fees would stay with KAP rather than being refunded 

By Allan Dawson August 4, 2017

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) hopes Bill 35, legislation to amend its funding checkoff, will be law by the start of KAP’s new fiscal year Dec. 1, 2017. “I’m very hopeful that these changes, while not a wholesale overhaul of the (Agricultural Producers’ Organization Funding Act) and the way our system functions, will make things a

Local news

Diversity key to successful farm lobby

Farmers should be able to choose which general farm organization their checkoff dollars support, says the NFU

By Shannon VanRaes May 2, 2017

Region 5 of the National Farmers Union has again called on the province to give producers a choice in which general farm organization they wish to support. They’re asking the Manitoba government to amend the Agriculture Producers Funding Act. Currently, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is the only certified general farm organization in Manitoba, thanks to

Comment/Feedback

The case for a carbon tax (and refund system)

Only with a well-structured refund mechanism will a carbon tax be fair to farmers

By Darrin Qualman April 25, 2017

Carbon taxes are controversial. Especially contentious is the question of whether such taxes should be applied to farmers. Before farmers make up their minds about carbon taxes, it’s important that they encounter a clear explanation of how a well-structured agricultural carbon tax could work, and how such a tax could help increase net farm incomes.

Comment/Feedback, Opinion

There goes the neighbourhood

By Alan Guebert April 19, 2017

Farmers and ranchers pride themselves on neighbourliness, and rightly so. Rare is the season, after all, when the local newspaper or radio station doesn’t carry a lump-in-the-throat story explaining how neighbours of an ill or injured member of a farm or ranch family gathered for a day or two to do a month or two’s

Crops

Heavy reliance on inputs diverts cash

Nitrogen use can’t keep increasing if greenhouse gas emissions are to fall

By Shannon VanRaes April 10, 2017

There is no way around it, according to Darrin Qualman, reducing carbon emissions will require a hard look at the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Speaking via Skype at the regional conference of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in Portage la Prairie last week, Qualman said the role of agricultural inputs can’t be ignored when it

Daily Network News

Feed Grain Weekly: Export market firming prices

Klassen: Strong demand underpins Western Canadian feeder market

OPINION: Mark Carney’s visit to India hits the reset button on the Canada–India relationship

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