Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal Conservatives’ proposed replacement for the Liberal government’s framework on climate change offers several shout-outs to farmers, in a document focused on green investment rather than current consumption patterns. The lead opposition party’s plan, launched Wednesday by leader Andrew Scheer, proposes to scrap the Trudeau government’s current carbon pricing plan, which imposes levies on […] Read more
Tories’ climate plan focused on green investment
Saskatchewan extends greenfeed seeding deadline
Reading Time: 2 minutes Saskatchewan farmers who still want to put in cereal crops for greenfeed with crop insurance coverage will get an extra couple of weeks to do so. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance on Wednesday announced an extension on the June 30 deadline for seeding crops for greenfeed, to July 15. Producers who have crop insurance will now be […] Read more
China, drought, debt shake Canadian farm finances
Reading Time: 3 minutes Winnipeg/Ottawa | Reuters — For years, the financial stability of Canadian farmers was the envy of their U.S. counterparts, but rising costs, drought and a dispute with China have weakened their bottom lines. Net incomes plunged last year, and that setback was followed in March by China’s halting purchases of canola, Canada’s biggest crop. Now […] Read more
Prairie drought reaches tipping point
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — The Prairie provinces have been under the influence of a large ridge of high pressure for a number of weeks, which has produced prolonged dryness with little precipitation. That high pressure system has pushed low-pressure, precipitation-carrying systems to the south, where the U.S. Midwest has already received significant rain. Environment Canada estimated the […] Read more
Ag minister announces launch of Canadian food policy
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada has its first food policy, an initiative to increase access to safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food, and to cut food waste. Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food and parliamentary secretary, Jean-Claude Poissant made the announcement Monday in Montreal. “The Food Policy for Canada is our road map for a healthier and more […] Read more
Oats market solid, watching weather
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Tight old-crop supplies are keeping oats prices well supported in Western Canada, although buyers are covered for the time being and waiting for a clearer picture on new-crop production. “It’s tough to find old-crop demand currently, as many larger-scale end-users are covered,” said Ryan McKnight of Linear Grain at Carman, Man. Most buyers […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans rally as rains threaten more planting problems
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures jumped to their highest levels in more than a week on Wednesday as rains threatened to further delay corn and soy plantings and put crop yields at risk. The gains came a day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday cited “unprecedented planting delays” […] Read more
Australia cuts wheat forecast by 11 per cent
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sydney | Reuters — Australia on Wednesday cut its wheat production forecast for the 2019-20 harvest by more than 11 per cent as an unrelenting drought across the country’s east coast threatens crops for a third year in a row. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) pegged production of the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn seesaws, soy rises on planting uncertainty
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures veered between gains and losses while soybean futures rose on Monday as planting delays fueled uncertainty over the size of the nation’s crops. Heavy rains delayed plantings the spring and traders remain unsure about how many acres of corn and soy will actually be planted and how much […] Read more
Ontario extends corn, soy, bean planting deadlines
Reading Time: 2 minutes Waterlogged Ontario farmers still waiting on a window to plant corn, soybeans and coloured and white beans ahead of crop insurance deadlines now have at least a couple of extra days. Agricorp, the province’s production insurance and farm program delivery agency, announced extensions Friday for several of its planting deadlines. Corn growers in areas A, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
