Glacier FarmMedia – A truck pulls up to a yard to pick up empty containers to ship Canadian soybeans to Asia. But the shipping company refuses to allow the trucker into the yard. It prefers to ship empty containers back to Asia. Thousands of bushels of identity-preserved soybeans, in this real-life situation of the past […] Read more
Shipping container crisis may last into 2022
Shipping companies find it more lucrative to ship empty containers than to wait for a backhaul
Opinion: New Parliament can achieve big things by thinking small
Many issues can be addressed if they are prioritized
Glacier FarmMedia – As soon-to-be vodka bubbled and steamed and dripped in front of me, I thought: “This is a problem that can be solved.” Regardless of the nature of the federal government that was recently elected, there are piles of farm, agriculture and food issues that it can deal with if it cares enough […] Read more
Trading nations hope for reinvigorated WTO
Countries from three continents plan to meet later this year to begin the process of fixing the World Trade Organization
Glacier FarmMedia – Food exporters and importers on three continents are hoping the World Trade Organization (WTO) can get back on its feet, and soon. They also hope an upcoming summit will put the WTO on a path that not only returns it to previous functionality but also helps it climb higher on the evolutionary […] Read more
Interest rate hike protection advised
Rates are forecasted to rise next year, so now is the time to hedge risk
Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers should start thinking about protecting themselves from potential interest rate hikes, agricultural debt financing experts say. “If you … have borrowings of $2 million or greater that do have long-term amortizations that are associated with them, you should be exploring ways for you to mitigate your interest rate risk over a […] Read more
Opinion: Resiliency is a great idea, until you have to pay for it
There are improvements that can be made in agriculture systems, but they include costs
Glacier FarmMedia – Other than “unprecedented,” the term “resiliency” has been the biggest buzzword of the pandemic — at least in agriculture. I doubt I’ve taken part in a webinar, Zoom call or online press conference since March without the term being used prominently and repeatedly. Resiliency is a hot concept right now, but what […] Read more
Specialized trade policies advised for Canada
Report says Canada needs one approach for the U.S. and China and another for rules-based trading nations
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada should adopt separate strategies to deal with trade issues involving the United States and China, and a third approach for more rules-based trading nations, says a new report by Agri-Food Economic Systems. Why it matters: The U.S. and China have focused on their relationship with each other and that means challenges […] Read more
Small farmers called key to fight against climate change
Bayer president says the world’s ‘smallholder’ producers can make a difference by sequestering carbon in their soil
Glacier FarmMedia – The smallest farmers might be the key to successfully using agriculture to fight climate change, Bayer Crop Science President Liam Condon said in a recent presentation. So many millions of “smallholder” farmers have so much improvement possible on their farming that the gains could be huge. Why it matters: Population growth is […] Read more
China, COVID ruined pork party
Canadian pork exports were surging from December 2018 to May 2019, but then trade disputes and packer slowdowns got in the way
Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian hog producers were on the path to good times before Chinese complications and COVID-19 derailed producers, Statistics Canada analysis shows. However, the recovery of the North American packing industry since the pandemic shock and the return of China to buying Canadian pork have reversed some of the damage. Why it matters: […] Read more
Seed company bets on short stature corn
Bayer says benefits of dwarf varieties include higher plant counts per acre
Glacier FarmMedia – Shorter and denser: that’s the path to better sustainability for corn crops, Bayer crop scientists believe. Why it matters: Short-stature corn could help farmers and agricultural companies achieve sustainability goals while maintaining yields. As they work with commercial growers in Mexico and plan to roll out a range of short-stature corn crops […] Read more
Take advantage of rising grain prices, farmers urged
Corn, soybeans stick at prices that haven’t been seen much in the past five years
Glacier FarmMedia – Market analysts think grain markets are at the beginning of a sustained rally that could see strong prices for two years. A bull and a maybe-bear both agree that now is a good time to make sales on main crops. After a strong recent rally, today’s prices are worth picking up for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
