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File photo of laker vessels navigating the Welland Canal. (JonathanNicholls/iStock/Getty Images)
Crops, Markets

Seaway strike backs up Ontario grain

Prairie grain may follow suit if strike backs up traffic via Thunder Bay, GFO warns

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The nature of eastern Canadian grain logistics, and a strike by St. Lawrence Seaway workers who operate the system’s canals, will see cascading impacts across the system if the situation isn’t resolved quickly, according to Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Unifor workers in both Ontario and Quebec walked off the job Sunday […] Read more
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) chair Brendan Byrne, left, and Crosby Devitt, GFO CEO, discuss issues such as carbon tax exemptions, fertilizer tariffs, increasing input and inflation costs, and concerns about agriculture land protection.
Crops, News

GFO members bring land planning and protection concerns to annual meeting

Fertilizer and carbon tax relief remain ongoing issues

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Grain farmer concerns on land use and planning gained traction against ongoing fertilizer pricing and carbon tax issues. Brendan Byrne, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) chair, and CEO Crosby Devitt fielded questions on what measures the organization was taking toward agricultural land protection and intensification planning to address increasing housing pressure during the organization’s annual […] Read more
Lisa Thompson. (Lisathompsonmpp.ca video screengrab via YouTube)

Ontario names new ag minister in shuffle

Lisa Thompson replaces Ernie Hardeman

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has drawn another aggie from his existing cabinet to replace Ernie Hardeman as his agriculture minister. Ford on Friday announced a major cabinet shuffle, dropping Hardeman, the long-time MPP for Oxford, from the cabinet table and naming Lisa Thompson as minister for agriculture, food and rural affairs. Thompson, who until Friday […] Read more
Barry Senft. (Supplied photo)
Crops

Ex-GFO CEO to manage Seeds Canada

Barry Senft to help build up merged seed-industry group

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The four Canadian seed industry organizations now operating as Seeds Canada have named their first organizer-in-chief. Barry Senft, whose resume in Canadian agriculture includes stints as CEO for Grain Farmers of Ontario, executive director for the Canadian International Grains Institute, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission and second vice-president for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, becomes […] Read more
(Thinkstock photo)
Machinery

Federal budget plays to mixed reviews from ag groups

Funding for green initiatives, carbon pricing rebate plan hailed

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The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) says it is “pleased” the 2021 federal budget included some of the recommendations it had made. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s first budget, released April 19, included significant spending to help producers transition to a greener economy and cited agriculture as a foundational pillar of Canada’s future. “CFA will be […] Read more
A wheat crop in progress on May 24, 2016 north of London, Ont. (Ralph Pearce photo)
Crops, Markets

Grain Farmers of Ontario to wind down wheat pool

Programs to end after 2020 marketing year

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The remnants of Ontario farmers’ former single wheat marketing desk are set to disappear at the end of the 2020 crop marketing year. Grain Farmers of Ontario, which inherited the pooling system from one of its heritage organizations, the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board, announced Tuesday it will wind down its wheat pool and its […] Read more
Editorial: Hitting the top of the government handout cycle again
News

Editorial: Hitting the top of the government handout cycle again

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We are several years into a crop price downturn and, inevitably, farmers who are increasing financially squeezed are asking for help from the government. Once again, the federal and provincial governments appear to have been able to drag out any changes to business risk management programs until the point when crop prices have started to […] Read more
(Natt Boonyatecha/iStock/Getty Images)
Crops, Machinery

U.S. oil refiners press on renewable diesel for Canadian market

Few such projects seen moving forward within Canada

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Winnipeg/New York | Reuters — U.S. oil refineries are moving aggressively to produce renewable diesel, partly to cash in on Canada’s greener fuel standard before Canadian refiners modify their own plants. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government intends to present its Clean Fuel Standard this year, aiming to cut 30 million tonnes of emissions by […] Read more
(Outdoorfarmshow.com)
Crops, Machinery

Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show looks to lock in land base

GFM plans to buy research land for eastern Discovery Farm

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As Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show goes digital this week, its operator is preparing to secure its real-world footprint in southern Ontario and put that real estate to year-round work. Glacier FarmMedia and the Ontario government on Tuesday announced their intent to work toward a land deal with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), which […] Read more
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Conservative ag critic John Barlow discussed the impact of carbon pricing on farm expenses when Bibeau addressed an agriculture committee meeting on June 10, 2020. (Video screengrabs from Parl.gc.ca)
Crops, Machinery

Carbon pricing not having ‘significant impact’ on grain drying, Bibeau says

Conservatives, ag groups dispute government's numbers

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Ottawa — Grain drying costs an average of $210 to $819 per farm in carbon taxes, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Her department used data provided by grower groups – including Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) – to arrive at the figures. The federal estimate […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

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