Agriculture news

• MPP Paul Vickers Named Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness

  15-04-2025 20:07 via farms.com
  Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers said that he is pleased to be named the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the Hon. Trevor Jones.“Agriculture has been the passion of my life,” said Vickers, the newly elected, first-term MPP. “I am very excited for this opportunity to advocate for Ontario’s farmers and agri-businesses.”The mandate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness includes supporting t
  
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• Prioritizing on-farm safety for the next generation

  15-04-2025 19:32 via farms.com
  A fun and interactive program is available to help farm families start those important conversations about safety.The BASF Safety Scouts program provides 2,000 BASF Safety Scout and BASF Safety Captain kits each year at no cost to farm families across Canada. The kits are designed to encourage farm children to take on the role of safety ambassador on their farm.Leta LaRush, Vice President, Business Management at BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada said the program is a key pillar of how BASF supp
  
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• With 8.7 million birds dead, B.C. farmers assess avian flu toll, and worry about what's next

  15-04-2025 19:30 via farms.com
  There is a window of relief for British Columbia farmers from the devastating waves of avian flu, leaving them to assess the toll of outbreaks spanning more than three years that saw millions of birds culled at hundreds of farms.Farmers and scientists also worry what the next migration of wild birds will bring this year.Some farmers have moved their operations outside British Columbia's Fraser Valley or exited the industry altogether since the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu began circulating,
  
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• 2025 Planting Plans Reveal a Pivot in Alberta’s Fields: Statscan

  15-04-2025 19:23 via farms.com
  Alberta farmers are shaking up their planting strategies — and sending a clear message: adaptability is the new productivity.Wheat is on the rise, canola is pulling back, and lentils and dry peas are starting to elbow their way into more rotations, according to new data from Statistics Canada. The 2025 crop year will be anything but business as usual in Alberta, as producers recalibrate around profitability, drought resilience, and global demand signals.Across the province, wheat is regain
  
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• FCC: With Margins on Thin Ice, Growers Face Tough Seeding Choices This Spring

  15-04-2025 19:22 via farms.com
  As the seeding window approaches across Canada, growers are entering the 2025 planting season with more uncertainty than usual — that’s the message in a new analysis from Farm Credit Canada written by senior economists Justin Shepherd and Graeme Crosbie.Ongoing trade disputes, including new tariffs from China, are adding to market volatility and complicating decisions around crop selection, FCC says—particularly at a time when cereal crops are seeing a resurgence in price compe
  
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• Titanic connections to agriculture

  15-04-2025 16:00 via farms.com
  April 15 marks the 113th anniversary of the ship’s sinking
  
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• Guest column: Why this election matters for farmers, rural communities

  15-04-2025 14:31 via farms.com
  Ontarians are in the midst of their second election campaign of 2025, and like all elections, it’s a perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of agriculture to our communities, our economy and our country.In Ontario alone, the agri-food sector contributes over $50 billion to the economy every year — to put that into every day terms, that’s enough to buy 10 billion cups of Tim Hortons coffee.The sector also employs 11 per cent of Ontario’s workforce by su
  
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• Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s new cabinet unveiled with changes in major portfolios

  15-04-2025 14:28 via farms.com
  Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled his new cabinet, shuffling a number of ministers around the province’s major portfolios without axing any big names altogether.Among the most significant changes in the shuffle are new faces at the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.Paul Calandra has been moved to education from housing, while Rob Flack takes housing and leaves his role with agriculture. Todd McC
  
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• How Ontario's forgotten Farmerettes helped feed the nation during WW II

  15-04-2025 14:27 via farms.com
  Tens of thousands of young women from across Ontario worked on farms during and after the Second World War as part of a little-known government program.Their story is now the subject of a new documentary, We Lend A Hand, which premieres Friday at the Junction North Film Festival in Sudbury.The film, directed by Colin Field, dives into the experiences of the Farmerettes — teenage girls who took on agricultural work to support Canada's war effort by participating in the Ontario Farm Service
  
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• Agricultural economy’ ripples’ through community

  15-04-2025 14:25 via farms.com
  “Agriculture plays a critical role in Ontario’s economy. In addition to providing food for Ontarians, it also significantly contributes to employment rates and the prosperity of other related sectors,” states a 2024 economic impact study prepared by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).It found that for every dollar generated in direct farming activities, $1.67 in economic business revenue is created through direct and indirect effects. This economic output increases to
  
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• Meat Council Calls for Government Aid for Processors Amid China Tariffs

  15-04-2025 13:21 via farms.com
  Some meat processors are facing losses of up $100 million this year amid escalating trade tensions with China, the Canadian Meat Council says. The meat council, which represents federally licensed meat packers and meat processors, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the meat industry, is calling on the federal government to take “urgent and meaningful action” to support the country’s meat industry. Such support is critical not only for the viability of processing faci
  
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• Canadian Inflation Rate Unexpectedly Slows in March

  15-04-2025 13:20 via farms.com
  The Canadian inflation rate declined in March compared to a month earlier, partially driven by lower gasoline prices. Statistics Canada’s consumer price index on Tuesday showed Canada’s annual rate of inflation slowed to 2.3% last month, down from the 2.6% advance in February.The decline in the March inflation rate caught analysts and economists by surprise, with most expecting a higher inflation rate of 2.5% to 2.7%.Consumers paid 1.6% less at the pump year-over-year in March follow
  
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• Managing wild oats starts in spring

  15-04-2025 13:16 via farms.com
  Wild oats are one of the most important weeds to manage in cereal production. They cause yield reduction as they compete with the crops for moisture and resources. In addition, the presence of wild oat seeds may downgrade the grain or increase cleaning costs.Wild oat management starts in spring. With well-planned integrated management, the damage caused by wild oats can be mitigated, and the wild oats seedbank be reduced.Herbicide Herbicide is one of the effective tools in managing wild oats. Th
  
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• Eligible Wheat and Barley producers can claim SR&ED credit on their 2024 taxes

  15-04-2025 13:14 via farms.com
  Wheat and barley producers who pay check-off through Alberta Grains (formerly Alberta Barley Commission and the Alberta Wheat Commission) and do not request a refund are eligible for a 32 per cent tax credit through the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Fund (SR&ED) program for their investment in research and development (R&D) projects. For example, producers who paid $100 in check-off on their wheat or barley in 2024 would earn $32 in tax credit.The federal SR&ED pro
  
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• Alberta’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign supports producers amid global uncertainty

  15-04-2025 13:13 via farms.com
  The Government of Alberta has a new campaign, titled ‘Buy Local,’ encouraging consumers to support the province’s agriculture and food industry by choosing local products.The campaign aims to encourage people to buy from Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and food processors who provide safe and nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians, and the world.Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, emphasized the importance of supporting local producers.“It&r
  
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• RDAR invests over $7.5 million to boost agricultural research in Western Canada

  15-04-2025 13:12 via farms.com
  Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has announced an investment of over $7.5 million in research grants as part of the Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC). This funding aims to deliver impactful results for Alberta’s producers.The AFC, consisting of 18 agricultural organizations, coordinates funding to support sustainability, diversification, and growth in Western Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry. The combined investment, including contributions from RDAR’s A
  
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• Nozzle Control That Saves You More

  15-04-2025 11:08 via farms.com
  ExactApply offers individual nozzle control for enhanced spraying accuracy, reducing input costs by up to 5% while improving efficiency and minimizing chemical waste.
  
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• Trump Offers Legal Return Plan for Workers

  15-04-2025 10:56 via farms.com
  Trump proposes legal re-entry for undocumented workers to support farm and hospitality industries, addressing the labor gap through structured immigration processes.
  
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• Honeybee Die Offs Raise Concerns

  15-04-2025 10:53 via farms.com
  Unusual honeybee losses in 2025 worry experts as causes remain unclear Raising concerns for pollination and crop production across US farming communities
  
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• Local Food Programs Face Sudden End

  15-04-2025 10:49 via farms.com
  Farmers and food pantries worry as USDA halts local food programs These initiatives helped deliver healthy meals and build stronger regional food supply chains in the US
  
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