Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez applaud during his first State of the Nation Address, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 25, 2022.  Photo: Aaron Favila/Pool via Reuters

Philippines’ Marcos lays out ambitious policy agenda with farm sector in focus

Manila | Reuters – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday outlined ambitious plans for his six-year term in office that focus on fiscal management, infrastructure upgrades and turning the long-neglected farm sector into an engine of growth. The Philippines is beset with numerous challenges, from soaring prices, food shortages, poverty and inequities in education, but Marcos, the

Canada needs a new in-depth approach to the Indo-Pacific region and that’s important to agriculture.

Is Canada’s coming Indo-Pacific strategy too little, too late?

Canada has high hopes to grow its agriculture trade in the Indo-Pacific region but strategists say Canada must look beyond trade or face continued irrelevance

If Canada wants to continue to grow its agriculture trade in one of the fastest growing regions of the globe, it needs a new strategy. It needs to reconsider its ‘trade mission’ diplomacy strategy in the Indo-Pacific region and become relevant to the countries there. “Economic interests can no longer be separated from broader foreign



Editor’s Take: Planning for the unplannable

How do you plan for — and manage — the kind of weather risk Manitoba farmers have suffered through lately? First it was years of prolonged drought, including last year’s acute blast. That crippled crop production, all but halted forage growth and raised the serious risk of some rural communities running out of drinking water.


In a mere few months, ground beef (seen here) and pork, two unprocessed, natural, and affordable animal protein sources, will be labelled as having too much saturated fat.

Comment: Health Canada sees some saturated fats as more equal than others

This incoherent decision seems to be driven by ideology and special interests not facts

Looks like we will all see different symbols on food packaging soon, telling us whether a food product at the grocery store has too much fat, sugar or sodium. Health Canada is likely going forward shortly with a policy requiring front-of-package nutrition symbols on foods high in saturated fat, sugars and sodium. It’s a concept

How do farmers and their associations work to enhance collaboration across the border?

Comment: A most important relationship

Farmers on both sides of the border will benefit if they work together

Relationships matter. This might sound like a cliché to some, but that does not make it any less true. Agriculture in Western Canada is dependent on trade. Maintaining our relationships with our partners in other countries is one of the most important things agriculture representatives do, and no relationship is more important than with our


The end of the Indonesian palm oil ban is an important first step to return the situation to normal.

Comment: Politics fuelled palm oil export ban

The impact of Indonesia’s move, designed to quell domestic unrest, reverberated across the globe

Amid an ongoing global food price crisis, vegetable oils are registering record-breaking highs. According to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the price for edible oils rose to almost 250 per cent of standard price levels. Over the past two years, labour restrictions, climate change and violent conflict have

Biden administration putting up US$2.1 billion to strengthen food system

Reuters – The Biden administration plans to spend more than US$2.1 billion in funding to shore up weaknesses in the country’s food supply system exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will unveil the new funding, designed to enhance competition in food processing


Province pledges cash for weather-beaten roads

Province pledges cash for weather-beaten roads

$15-million grant to be doled out on per capita basis with Winnipeg getting $9 million

Municipalities will get extra cash to deal with weather-beaten roads, the province announced May 9.  “Above-average precipitation and colder-than-average temperatures have caused a substantial increase in the number and severity of potholes on roads throughout the province,” said Premier Heather Stefanson in a news release.  “Inflation and supply chain issues have also added to this

To set the stage, there have been nine periods of rising central bank rates in the U.S. since the late 1960s.

How widespread will interest rate fallout be?

Looking at economic history, the effects aren’t always dramatic

Take a moment to imagine what the world and your business would look like if interest rates were at four per cent — or even six per cent — instead of two per cent. Everyone has been talking about inflation and interest rates and yield curve inversions lately, so what does it all mean? While