(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. puts duties on phosphate from Morocco, Russia

Reuters — The U.S. Department of Commerce said Tuesday it would set preliminary duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Russia and Morocco, after launching an investigation to determine if producers in these countries were receiving unfair subsidies. The department set preliminary duties of 23.46 per cent on imports from Morocco’s OCP Group and other producers […] Read more

(Farm-King.com)

Buhler pulls Farm King manufacturing back to Canada

Work to halt at Minnesota plant early next year

Winnipeg farm equipment maker Buhler Industries is relocating its Farm King manufacturing work back to Canada from the U.S. this winter. After consolidating its U.S. manufacturing this summer into one plant at Willmar, Minn., about 140 km west of Minneapolis, the company said Thursday it will also halt production at Willmar in early 2021. Buhler, […] Read more

Apples are one of the Ontario crops that rely on seasonal foreign workers for the harvest.

Return home stalled for some foreign workers

Seasonal foreign workers face uncertain timeline to return home due to pandemic-related border crossing restrictions

Seasonal foreign workers face uncertain timeline to return home due to pandemic-related border crossing restrictions

In the spring Ontario farmers were concerned COVID-19 border closures would stymie efforts to get the much-needed foreign workers into Ontario. Now it appears the pandemic might be hindering efforts to get those same workers back home to their families. Why it matters: Smooth operation of the seasonal foreign worker program is critical to the […] Read more

mechanic high clearance

Agriculture education evolves to fit modern needs

Colleges are offering shorter courses in regional settings to help fill the need for practical skills

Colleges are offering shorter courses in regional settings to help fill the need for practical skills

Post-secondary agriculture education in Ontario is diversifying to meet the labour and skill needs of the industry. Shorter, concentrated offerings are expected to help fill the need for more employees in agriculture. Why it matters: Agriculture education options for practical training have been limited, especially in the regions where potential farm workers live. Much has […] Read more

Hazelnut trees growing at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

Genomics research moving Ontario hazelnuts closer to production

Researchers continue to learn how to adapt hazelnuts to Ontario’s climate

A genomics-based research project at the University of Guelph is moving the establishment of an Ontario hazelnut industry one step closer to reality. Hazelnut development work has been underway in the province for about a decade, driven by farmers seeking new crops to grow and a large confectionary company keen to source their key ingredient […] Read more


Asian giant hornets have noticeably large orange heads and black eyes; worker hornets are about 3.5 cm in length; queens can be up to four to five cm in length, with a wingspan of four to seven cm. (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture)

Two more ‘murder hornets’ turn up on B.C. mainland

One nest found last month in neighbouring U.S. town

Beekeepers in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland are asked to keep an eye out for so-called “murder hornets” after two were found in the region within a week. A single Asian giant hornet was found Saturday at Aldergrove, near the intersection of Fraser Highway and Highway 13 — about five km from where […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

AgriStability in Bibeau’s sights as ministers’ meeting booked

Removing reference margin limit a palatable option

Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers of agriculture are scheduled to meet Nov. 20 and 27 to discuss improving business risk management (BRM) programs. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau said she is confident counterparts from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia will be willing to contribute their share to make significant improvements to AgriStability, the […] Read more

Rep. Collin Peterson, chairman of the House agriculture committee, speaks to reporters at the Reuters Financial Regulation Summit in Washington on April 27, 2009. (File photo: Reuters/Mike Theiler)

U.S. House ag leader loses election, unsettling Midwest farm sector

Chicago | Reuters — Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, chair for the House of Representatives’ agriculture committee, failed to win re-election in Minnesota on Tuesday, a loss some agriculture leaders said could hurt the U.S. Midwest grain belt. Though Democrats retained control of the House and therefore will again chair the committee, Peterson’s exit could […] Read more


While Canadians said they were willing to pay more for local food, the study also found that shoppers paid little attention to where their food originates.

Canadians will pay more for local food, but don’t necessarily look for it

Younger people said they were more likely to pay a premium

A new study says that four of five Canadians are willing to pay more for locally produced food. The study, conducted by the Dalhousie University Food Analytics Lab in cooperation with Caddle is based on survey data from more than 10,000 Canadians. While Canadians said they were willing to pay more, they also were found […] Read more

(Valio84sl/iStock/Getty Images)

Tech firm aims to boost regenerative ag through A.I., machine learning

Terramera proposes to cut emissions, sequester carbon through efficiencies

A Vancouver ag tech firm is pitching a proposal to both public- and private-sector investors that would use Microsoft technology to help the ag sector “pull carbon from the air.” Terramera on Monday put forward a $730 million proposal for an initiative it calls the Global Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, which would oversee efforts to […] Read more