A produce truck entering Alberta from Montana on Christmas Day turned out to be carrying way more than just essential goods, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA on Wednesday said charges have now been laid against a 38-year-old Calgary resident after a semi-truckload of produce was referred for further inspection on Dec. 25, […] Read more
Truckload of northbound produce breaks bad at border
Canadian agents find record-level meth haul at Christmas
Triple-herbicide-tolerant soybean set for limited 2021 release
Bayer's XtendFlex soybeans pick up needed approvals
Bayer Crop Science expects to have “a small volume” of its new XtendFlex soybeans in the Canadian seed market for the 2021 growing season. XtendFlex soybeans, whose trait package is stacked with herbicide tolerance for glyphosate and dicamba as well as glufosinate, will be available in Canada for planting this spring, but not in all […] Read more
Alberta crop insurer taps reserve to cut premiums
AFSC to pare premiums by 20 per cent
The reserve at Alberta’s Crown crop insurance agency will be tapped to offset the premiums charged to farmers for the 2021 crop year, and possibly for longer. The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) said Monday its farmer customers will get a 20 per cent discount on crop insurance premiums this year — which on […] Read more
Ontario calls off final intake for beef set-aside
'Threshold not met' for further cattle intake
Ontario has called off the last intake for its federal/provincial beef cattle set-aside program. The Beef Emergency Feed Maintenance Initiative, an AgriRecovery program launched after the temporary shutdown of Cargill’s beef slaughter plant at Guelph, was to have its “final potential intake week” opening Monday (Jan. 18), for cattle to be set aside starting Jan. […] Read more
Dairy farmers must register to get further trade compensation payouts
Expect letters soon explaining process, AgMin says
Dairy farmers wanting to get in on a three-year, $1.405 billion federal compensation program for market share lost to free trade deals must register for the program by March 31 in each of those years. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Tuesday laid out further specifics for the Dairy Direct Payment Program, which is set to […] Read more
Ontario backs ‘horse experience’ businesses for horse upkeep
Trail ride operations, riding schools, others eligible
Ontario horses whose jobs with riding schools, camps and trail rides were lost or cut back during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for funding toward their upkeep. The province on Thursday announced a $3 million equine hardship program would launch starting Monday (Jan. 18) help “horse experience” businesses cover animal maintenance costs. The program […] Read more
Alberta’s Lakeland to offer ag tech degree
College to launch first-in-Canada program in September
East-central Alberta’s Lakeland College is set to offer what’s billed as Canada’s first degree program in agriculture technology, as a two-year post-credential program, starting in September. The program, announced Wednesday, will consist of full-time studies at Lakeland’s campus at Vermilion, about 180 km east of Edmonton, plus “experiential learning practicums” off campus, en route to […] Read more
Feds launch consultations on Canada Grain Act
Review to run until April 30
The federal government is now officially canvassing the grains sector on upgrades to Canada’s grain regulatory system. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Tuesday to Saskatchewan crop organizations’ virtual CropSphere conference, announced the feds’ current Canada Grain Act review has entered its consultation stage, running until April 30. The government said it wants feedback from grain […] Read more
Cattle set-aside programs winding down
Final enrolment deadlines set for Saskatchewan, Alberta programs
AgriRecovery programs set up in Saskatchewan and Alberta to help cover feed costs for cattle producers unable to ship livestock to slaughter are gearing down, while Ontario’s program begins a third intake. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. announced Friday that the province’s AgriRecovery set-aside program will end March 31, 2021, with Jan. 19 now set as […] Read more
Railways overshoot grain revenue limits for 2019-20
Grain revenues run $5.3 million over caps, CTA rules
Canada’s big two railways have about two more weeks to hand over about $5.6 million in Prairie grain revenue overages and related penalties for the 2019-20 crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Dec. 22 ruled Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) each overshot their maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) for the […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
