Reading Time: 2 minutes Mexico City | Reuters — The Mexican government should target agricultural goods produced in states that have voted for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party if the trade conflict between the two neighbours worsens, the head of Mexico’s main farm lobby said on Friday. Bosco de la Vega, head of Mexico’s national farm council CNA, […] Read more
Target Trump’s base if trade spat worsens, Mexican farm lobby says
Prairie dryness concerns to persist
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Large areas of Western Canada remain on the dry side, with little moisture in the immediate forecasts. And while it’s still early in the growing season, the interplay of conflicting patterns from the south and north will determine whether the dry areas receive timely precipitation during the growing season. “We are looking at […] Read more
Restaurant Brands to boost outlets by 54 per cent within 10 years
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Restaurant Brands International said on Wednesday it plans to expand all three of its brands to more than 40,000 restaurants globally, a 54 per cent jump, over the next decade. Big fast food chains, including McDonald’s and KFC owner Yum Brands, have been aggressively expanding their international operations to counter slowing growth in […] Read more
P.E.I. dairyman named provincial ag and land minister
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Prince Edward Island dairy farmer who unseated the province’s incumbent premier on election night is the new provincial minister for agriculture and land, and for justice and public safety. Bloyce Thompson, the new Progressive Conservative MLA for the district of Stanhope-Marshfield, was sworn in Thursday as a member of incoming Premier Dennis King’s nine-member […] Read more
McCain Foods buys stake in Brazilian potato processor Serya
Reading Time: < 1 minute Sao Paulo | Reuters — McCain Foods, the world’s largest producer of frozen fries, has agreed to buy 70 per cent of Brazilian firm Serya for an undisclosed amount, in a deal that will allow the Canadian company to expand its footprint in Latin America’s largest market. The remaining shares of Serya are held by […] Read more
Climate change has U.S. fund managers adjusting agriculture investments
Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — After historic floods devastated Midwestern agricultural states this spring, some fund managers are evaluating how climate change will affect the long-term value of companies that make or sell products ranging from tractors to fertilizer. The issue is not simply the unpredictability of weather. Instead, fund managers say, they are struggling […] Read more
P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and […] Read more
Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more
Land at $75,000 per acre
Balancing the need for high yields and sustainability — farming a Dutch polder
Reading Time: 8 minutes The newest province of the Netherlands, Flevoland, is flatter than the Canadian Prairies. There isn’t a tree, building or windmill older than 40 years. And while in Canada our farmland was won from the bush, here in the Netherlands it’s wrung from the sea and called polders. Fabulously fertile, furiously high priced and fragile, this […] Read more
EU adopts post-Brexit import quotas for farm produce
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — The European Union on Monday adopted quotas for farming produce it will accept from third countries after Britain leaves the bloc and acknowledged this could happen before it has concluded talks with them on the subject. The EU has in place a series of tariff rate quotas, allowing agricultural producers such […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
