Technology has always been a driving force behind productivity growth in Canadian agriculture, and the trends of mechanization and increasing farm scale have typically been associated with a need for fewer people. The threshing crews making the rounds a century ago harvesting the annual crop were replaced by tractors and threshing machines. Herbicides reduced the […] Read more
Tag Archives Business/Finance
Comment: Agriculture needs more people and investment
Agriculture support programs inadequate in new trade environment
Agriculture groups are concerned existing programs won’t measure up while other countries pile billions into support for their farmers
Farm leaders are worried the current suite of government risk management programs are ill-prepared to help Ontario farmers through tough times brought on by trade wars. Solid farm income over the past decade means reference margins will really have to dive in order to trigger payments from existing programs, industry sources say. The programs were […] Read more
Frost dates will be critical to corn and soybean marketing this year
The average frost free date in Ontario ends in early to mid-October
The average temperature in Ontario during August was two to three degrees Celsius below normal while most of the growing region experienced average precipitation. The corn and soybean crops need warm weather to advance crop development. Most of the Ontario growing region has an average frost date between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10; areas closer […] Read more
Large companies push back against federal plan to encourage internet competition
Companies have said they will cut back their plans to expand coverage to rural areas and small towns
Large providers of internet backbone across the country are scaling back their investments in rural and small towns in retaliation to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) imposition of lower wholesale rates for internet. Bell Canada says it will cut 200,000 households from its rural expansion program because the CRTC decision cost it $100 million. […] Read more
Stand-alone companies eager to focus on agriculture
Corteva president says there’s no longer the distraction of being part of a broader conglomerate
The merger of agriculture seed and crop protection suppliers over the past few years has meant more concentration in the industry, but it has also resulted in companies freer to pursue their agriculture interests. That’s the message from Bryce Eger, president of Corteva AgriScience in Canada. He’s now leading a much larger organization, made up […] Read more
An economic reality check for Canada’s farm sector
Chaotic trade and financial environments dominate first half of 2019
Many analysts predicted market uncertainty for 2019 and so far, those predictions have come true. With trade wars, mixed-result political dealings, and an overall unstable global economy, the situation for Canadian farmers continues to be concerning – though not inherently dire. Why it matters: Uncertainty about markets, politics and the global economy are causing anxiety […] Read more
Pro Farmer projects smaller U.S. corn, soy crops after excessive rains
However, if predicted yields are realized the crop will be one of the largest on record
Rochester, Minn. | Reuters – Advisory service Pro Farmer, a division of Farm Journal Media, forecast Aug. 23 that the 2019 U.S. corn harvest would drop 7.4 per cent from last year and the soybean crop would plunge 23 per cent after excessive rains stalled planting this spring. Why it matters: If Pro Farmer’s projections […] Read more
Cool weather persists and will affect Ontario crop yields
Tours of the U.S. Midwest are finding lower yields than predicted by USDA
Temperatures in Ontario have been two to three degrees Celsius below normal over the past 30 days. Precipitation has been quite variable with the bulk of the central and northern regions receiving 40 per cent to 80 per cent of normal rainfall. Quick look Soybeans: The Ontario soybean crop is expected to have lower protein […] Read more
Coming soon to a menu near you? Lab-grown steak for eco-conscious diners
An Israel-based company plans to be first to produce steak in a lab
Israel | Reuters – Diners in some upmarket restaurants will soon be able to tuck into laboratory-grown steak, thanks to an Israeli startup that seeks to tap into consumer concerns about health, the environment and animal welfare. While lab-grown hamburgers and chicken are already in development around the world, Israel’s Aleph Farms claims to be […] Read more
Snobelen Farms to build new seed facility
Construction of a world-class seed processing, treatment and packaging facility at the Snobelen Farms Ltd. Palmerston location will begin this summer, the company announced. The new facility will produce high-quality seed, offer several seed treatment options and allow Snobelen Farms Ltd. to better serve customers. The Palmerston expansion is a result of recent growth in […] Read more
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