Comment: The smokescreen of COP28

The global climate change event is the world’s biggest green mirage

Its official name is the United Nations 28th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, or COP28 for short. Given the news from the two-week gathering in the desert near Dubai, a better name might be “Shifting Sands, Shifting Blame.” For example, “A staggering 88,000 people are accredited” to attend the meeting, financial magazine Barron’s

Editorial: The proxy war of Bill C-234

Editorial: The proxy war of Bill C-234

Good governance is often boring to watch from the outside. If things ever become entertaining, something has usually gone off the rails. Boring is not the word I’d use to describe Bill C-234’s push to clear Parliament in the last few weeks. On Dec. 7 and 8, drama around the bill had spilled back into


Farmers caught in C-234 partisan conflict

Farmers caught in C-234 partisan conflict

Bill C-234 seems set to languish with Senate amendments

Liberals are defending their pet policy while Conservatives are seeing blood in the electoral waters, likely leaving farmers holding the bag on Bill C-234, analysts say. “The ones who get hurt by this are farmers,” said Dave Carey, vice-president of government and industry relations with the Canadian Canola Growers Association. Why it matters: Bill C-234

U.S. ethanol needs carbon capture: Vilsack

American ag secretary says carbon capture and storage critical to biofuel hopes

Reuters – Carbon capture and storage (CCS) at ethanol plants in the U.S. Midwest is necessary if the industry and its farmers hope to have a role in the burgeoning sustainable aviation fuel market, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Nov. 29. Three CCS pipelines that would transport and store captured carbon from ethanol plants


Agriculture has the potential to further drive Manitoba’s economy, bring investment to our province and develop our communities.

Comment: Government in an uncertain world

There are a couple of asks agriculture needs to make of government

What should farmers be asking of governments? This is an especially relevant question for producers in Manitoba who are getting to know the new government led by Premier Wab Kinew. Farmers and their representatives need to get this question right. Sometimes, agriculture’s asks can be counterproductive both for the development of a positive relationship with

Premier Wab Kinew answers questions on his party’s Nov. 21 throne speech.

Health care and heat pumps

Throne speech light on ag as the province sets priorities

Agriculture got brief mentions in the provincial government’s throne speech Nov. 21, in which Premier Wab Kinew’s government outlined its priorities for the upcoming legislative session. One mention appeared as the speech turned to Manitoba’s economy. The government committed to investments in agricultural innovation. “Manitoba’s agricultural producers work hard to feed families in Manitoba and around the


Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn (left) and Premier Wab Kinew (center) at the Nov. 24 announcement regarding financial assistance on Crown land lease payments.

Rent cuts announced on Crown lands

Announcement expands rent reduction plan introduced by the previous government

The new NDP government has announced its first official policy change on the Agricultural Crown Lands program since taking the reins this fall. On Nov. 24, the province said it was immediately shifting plans for next year’s rent levels. The new plan will “essentially freeze rates to the same as 2023 and will provide producers

Manitoba ships millions of weanlings into the U.S. each year.

Manitoba Pork pushes for VCOOL prep 

Manitoba Pork wants retaliatory tariffs locked and loaded if VCOOL goes ahead

Manitoba Pork will support retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. goes ahead with its voluntary country of origin labeling scheme, producers heard at a recent meeting. “It’s my view that if the U.S. moves ahead with these changes, Canada will have the right to impose those retaliatory tariffs … We are again requesting the government of Canada to fight back,” said Cam Dahl, general manager


‘As urban populations cry for housing, there’s a long list of rural communities that have watched their populations shrink for decades.’ – Alexis Stockford.

Editorial: The rural housing solution

Canada’s housing crisis is getting a lot of attention. In September, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a private members bill that would tie the infrastructure funding the federal government provides to municipalities to a stated threshold of extra homes built in that municipality per year. On Nov. 7, federal Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves

KAP president Jill Verwey.

KAP looks to build bridges with provincial government

Challenges and opportunities of new administration feature at fall advisory council meeting

Keystone Agricultural Producers had Manitoba’s new government top of mind when the general farm group met for its fall advisory council meeting Nov. 8. “Our team has already engaged with the NDP for the past year, and we believe that we have a strong working relationship with them,” said KAP President Jill Verwey. Why it