Technology Archives - Page 18 of 51

Agricultural technology investment soars

Market turbulence or not, North American investors are plowing into farm technology

By Carey Gillam, Rod Nickel October 7, 2015

North American investors are pouring money into agriculture technology despite turbulent financial and commodity markets, as cutting-edge advances that enhance farm production bring opportunities for profits. Investment in this technology, which spans plant and soil technology to drones, amounted to $2.06 billion in the first half of 2015, on pace to smash last year’s record

A sample of the proposed labels to show country of origin for food sold in Australia.  The label has a bar chart to indicate the percentage of each country.

Comment, Livestock

Australia to adopt mandatory COOL

Country has designed its own country-of-origin labels for consumers

By Government of Australia Press Release August 5, 2015

The Australian government has announced that it intends to introduce mandatory country-of-origin labelling for food. This is an excerpt from a press release announcing the program. Public concern over country-of-origin labelling has resulted in numerous inquiries, reports and proposals on the matter over many decades without any real change or improvement. For many years consumers

Cereals, Opinion

Editorial: Shedding light on the heated debate of grain freight rates

By Laura Rance-Unger August 4, 2015

One of the most heated farm policy debates of late has been over the fate of the maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) keeping a lid on grain freight rates. In the debate that emerged from the abysmal railway performance through the winter of 2013-14, axing the MRE has increasingly been portrayed as a quid pro quo

Crops

Farm equipment purchases protected under provincial legislation

The Farm Machinery and Equipment Act requires dealers to  deliver on time and back what they sell

By Ellen Mcpherson And Darren Bond, Lynn Gilmore July 15, 2015

The Farm Machinery and Equipment Act is not well known among farmers, but has many valuable benefits. The act, which is administered and enforced by the Manitoba Farm Industry Board (MFIB), protects farmers when they buy or lease farm machinery or farm equipment in Manitoba, by governing purchase, delivery and repair. This act only applies

A worker cleans photovoltaic solar panels inside a solar power plant at Raisan village near Gandhinagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, February 11, 2014.

Did you know?, International news

A new climate-smart cash crop — sunshine

Selling surplus solar energy to the grid is a triple-win scenario in India

By Magdalena Mis June 29, 2015

London / Thomson Reuters Foundation – A pioneering project in one of India’s sunniest states has led to one farmer harvesting what could become the country’s most climate-smart cash crop yet — sunshine. A pilot project by Sri Lanka-based non-profit International Water Management Institute (IWMI) offered farmers the opportunity to sell excess energy generated by solar

Bailey Gitzel sells her cookie sandwiches and French macaroons at the opening day of the Carman Farmers’ Market June 19. The 17-year-old Graysville entrepreneur also sells honey produced from her own beehives. She plans to study agriculture at university.

Local news

New specialists, more online resources for small-scale production

The government must act quickly to keep up with needs of a fast-emerging sector, says report chair

By Lorraine Stevenson June 25, 2015

Manitoba is acting on the recommendations for improving the working environment of small-scale farmers and processors, says Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn. Last week he and other MAFRD officials were at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market to introduce the two business development specialists being reassigned in the department to work with these

Dairy cattle, Livestock

Milking it: Israel leads the way in dairy tech

China, India, other Asian countries, now look to Israeli expertise

By Ari Rabinovitch June 2, 2015

Decades ago Israeli dairy farmers confronted a quandary — how could they provide milk to a fast-growing population in a country that is two-thirds desert, with little grazing land? They turned to technology, developing equipment that boosted output — from cooling systems to milk meters and biometrics — and have made Israeli cows the most

Local news

Buying or renting occasional-use farm implements

Could renting some equipment, instead of buying it, reduce production costs on your operation?

By Scott Garvey April 24, 2015

For Matthew Avison of Arborg, necessity started him off in the equipment rental business. As he explains it, he needed a particular tillage implement on his farm and his only option at the time was to buy one. There was no equipment rental company in the area that could provide him with what he wanted.

Vince McConnell, beef sector business development specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, spoke at last month’s Direct Farm Marketing conference.

Livestock

Bar-code system can link every package of meat to the farm

Ontario-based co-operative offers new tracking options for small and medium-size operations

By Jennifer Paige April 8, 2015

Telling customers about their farm and how their animals are raised is part of the marketing strategy for grass-fed beef producers, and two tools to help them were demonstrated at the Direct Farm Marketing Conference here last month. “We have some neat systems developing that are great tools to use in the endeavour of producing

Beef cattle, Opinion

Is beef traceability being used to its full potential?

Other countries extend traceability right to the packaging of meat so customers can  find out what individual animal and farm it came from

By Cheryl Hazenberg March 31, 2015

As I’ve been travelling this past year, I’ve been astonished by the level of traceability in processing plants abroad. I was welcomed into two plants, on two different continents, with open arms and fantastic hospitality with the only request being I leave my camera outside. Geographically these two businesses couldn’t be further apart but their

Daily Network News

Canadian alpacas impress American judge at Agribition

U.S. grains: Chicago grains firm as traders gauge China purchases

U.S. livestock: Futures rally ahead of U.S. Thanksgiving

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