Ten years ago, Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Act was updated to align with UPOV ’91, the globally acknowledged framework that protects the innovation of plant breeders and helps them profit from new variety development. The legislation is intended to protect breeders’ rights, increase investment in plant breeding and boost access to foreign genetics. Farm groups strongly resisted its adoption as they feared the cost burden for farmers.
While there’s no Tinder for business, Bunge and Viterra hope they’ve found the perfect match. The two companies announced their intent to merge in June 2023. Viterra brings more than 80 Canadian grain-handling centres to the blossoming relationship, along with sales to more than 70 nations. For its part, Bunge is the world’s largest processor of oilseeds, with 300 operations in 40 countries. Of course, with a celebrity wedding comes major scrutiny.
Starting in 2025, farmers with allowable net sales greater than $1 million must complete an agri-environmental risk assessment to receive funds from AgriInvest. A business risk management savings program of the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (SCAP), government will match farmer contributions up to one per cent of their net sales. Though details are yet to be fully developed, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) can be used to meet the requirement.
Largely unfamiliar to North Americans, barley tea is a staple in much of Asia, where it is consumed by people of all ages. Sisters Janice Ishizaka and Cilla Watkins launched The Canadian Barley Tea Company to introduce Canadians to the beverage.
The Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food (CANZA) recognizes the carbon credit market can potentially create agricultural revenue streams. As agricultural carbon pricing has slowly developed in recent years, sequestration has typically been measured by lab analysis of soil samples. Though effective, it is a slow and costly process. A rough estimate of $3.30 per acre for sample analysis would be combined with the cost of sampling and further processing. Farmers who wish to participate in the carbon assets market may require speedier data delivery at a lower cost.
BY IAN DOIG Kelly Dobson, a Manitoba farmer and certified executive coach, leads the National Farm Leadership Program in partnership with Farm Management Canada. The eighth iteration of the program kicks off Jan. 29, 2024, and the deadline to apply for this cohort is January 26. “Each year, the program grows and adapts,” said Dobson. […]
Located in a tidy, red tin barn just east of Calgary, Alberta Carriage Supply is the busiest equestrian equipment enterprise this side of the year 1901.
In recent years, the global brewing industry has increasingly focused on the environmental sustainability of beer. Many of the world’s largest breweries have set aggressive emissions reductions targets. This has been driven by a combination of jurisdictional regulations, corporate social responsibility goals and consumer demand. Much of the initial focus has been on manufacturing, packaging and transportation, but their initiatives increasingly encompass the entire supply chain including emissions associated with raw materials like barley malt.
Because more than 90 per cent of Canadian wheat is destined for international markets, this country’s transportation system must step up to ensure reliable, responsible delivery of our grain to markets that rely on it. While concerns about the system are not new, persistent service delays last year highlighted the need for improvement. The final report of the national Supply Chain Task Force renewed discussions about the fairness and effectiveness of Canadian grain transportation and its impact on shippers and the broader market.
Alberta has long been known as an economic powerhouse when it comes to the energy sector, however a new report commissioned by Cereals Canada shines a light on another strong economic driver for the province and the country—cereal grains.
