Farmland rental rates are keeping pace with the value of farmland across Canada.Farm Credit Canada (FCC) provides a rental rate analysis for all cultivated farmland from data on cash rental rates and the Farmland Values Report.The analysis provides a detailed breakdown of rent-to-price ratios by province, highlighting ...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - A recycling program for Alberta farmers has been extended.The 'Alberta Ag Plastic. Recycle It!' pilot program is operated by nonprofit Cleanfarms. It allows farmers to recycle their grain bags and twine. This marks the second extension of the program following its launch in October 2019.Officials say s...

The Alberta government on Thursday outlined what it would take for it to active a never-before declared water emergency under the province's 2024 drought response plan. The province is currently at the drought plan's Stage 4 which includes the landmark water-sharing agreements signed in April. There are three triggers ...

A program with a goal to provide financial support for rural projects is now accepting applications.Since the inception of the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) AgriSpirit Fund in 2004, FCC has supported 1,615 capital projects in rural Canada totaling $21 million for registered charities, non-profit organizations and First Nati...

Two organizations are continuing their efforts to deal with the world's hunger crises that are driven by conflict, climate, and economic challenges impacting the rising cost of food.For nine years Viterra and Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) have partnered in growing projects to support the less fortunate.Food security ...

OTTAWA, ON - It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success. Documents obtained through access to information legislation shed new light on the federal government's efforts to convince the two re...

The Competition Bureau says it is likely that Bunge Ltd.'s US$8.2-billion deal to acquire Viterra Ltd. would "substantially" reduce competition in the grain and canola oil markets.In a report to Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, the bureau says the deal is likely to hurt competition in markets for grain pur...

The Alberta government says the province will be home to the largest renewable diesel facility in Canada as Imperial qualifies for the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit program.Government officials say Alberta is an agricultural powerhouse with diverse and innovative industries, including a thriving bioprocessing s...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - A historic ranch near Lethbridge is being put under conservation easements.Conservation easements are legal mechanisms that protect the natural value of land through a voluntary agreement restricting land use changes in perpetuity. READ MORE: Two conservation organizations team up to protect 130-year o...

The plant-based protein industry is focused on improving the price, taste and texture of its products as it weathers a period of consumer wariness brought on by the rising cost of living. That's according to industry experts, including Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, a not-for-profit that receives fundin...

Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) have created a set of policy recommendations focused on agricultural practices and climate change.The Road to 2050 is an initiative aimed at shaping federal government programs for the sustainable intensification of the grain sector.GGC Chair Andre Harpe said there are many challenges incl...

Providing accurate, balanced and current information is an important way to promote agriculture education in Canadian classrooms.Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has partnered with CropLife Canada to develop three curriculum-linked resources for educators and students across the country.Grade 10 and 11 stud...

A state-of-the-art milk concentration plant is under construction in Blackfalds, Alberta.Dairy Innovation West (DIW) is the first of its kind in Canada. The $75 million facility is owned by the Western Milk Pool that is supporting processing expansion in Western Canada and to reduce transportation costs for Western Mil...

The Government of Alberta hopes that more innovations in technology will come forward to support the province's agriculture sector.They have announced a grant of $1.2 million over three years for the University of Calgary's Simpson Centre for the Alberta Digitalization Agricultural Program (Simpson Centre).Agriculture ...

Alberta's irrigation district managers are proposing a $5-billion plan for water storage and conservation in the province's south as the region faces increasingly tight supplies of the vital resource.The plan is contained in a newly released report from the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association.It says lands drained...

St. Mary River Irrigation District on Wednesday revealed eight inches of water per acre as its allocation for the 2024 season, a number high enough to get crucial southern Alberta irrigators through the summer, according to chairman George Lohues. "That is a number that will allow us to irrigate to the end of the ...

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has a suggestion for the federal government on how to address a severe workforce shortage.The CVMA was on Parliament Hill in March, asking for support for the profession through additional investments for programs, projects, and veterinary infrastructure as well as inv...

The Government of Alberta is being proactive in combatting invasive aquatic species.Officials say that as it stands, the province is 100 per cent free of zebra and quagga mussels. However, increased detection in both Idaho and Manitoba last year is upping the risk of invasive mussels being introduced into Alberta.The g...

It's great news for farmers as they prepare for the growing season.Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay has announced that the interest-free limit of the Advance Payments Program (APP), commonly known as the cash advance, has been set at $250,000 for the 2024 program year.The interest free limit...

LACOMBE, AB - The provincial government is establishing a new non-profit focused on agriculture research and crop development.The Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC), based in Lacombe, is being relaunched as Western Crops Innovations (WCI), a non-profit with an interim board. Officials say the new structure will help ...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - Although there have been slight improvements in recent weeks, officials say we are still looking at a pretty dry summer.The St. Mary's River Irrigation District (SMRID) says the latest water supply update from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation on March 11, 2024, indicates the region is on course for a...

Canadian farmers will be planting more pulse crops, oats, and durum according to Statistics Canada's acreage estimates published on Monday.CanolaOne of the more interesting numbers comes from producers planting intentions for canola this year. Canola acreage is projected to drop by nearly five per cent in Saskatchewan ...

The value of Canadian farmland rose 11.5 per cent in 2023, a new report by agriculture lending firm Farm Credit Canada has found. Chief economist J.P. Gervais said while that's a slight slowdown from the growth in 2022, it's still a rapid pace given cooling economic conditions overall."Farmland prices have continu...

Canada's federal government as well as organizations representing some the nation's beef producers warn a decision south of the border about "Product of USA" labels on meat, poultry and eggs could disrupt supply chains.The United States Department of Agriculture announced Monday a final rule on conditions for...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - On the eve of International Women's Day, the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East celebrated three young women as recipients of the 2024 Agricultural Scholarships.The program celebrated its sixth anniversary with a gala dinner and reception on Thursday, March 7, 2024. For the second year in a row, the recipi...

The Government of Alberta is asking water license users to move their license online.Officials said there are roughly 25,000 water licenses in Alberta. Many of the licenses issued before Nov. 2021 still report using older electronic and paper-based systems that are slow and difficult to track. The province now has a di...

The Government of Alberta is embracing technology in the agriculture sector.If Budget 2024 passes, the province said it will provide Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) with $900,000 to hire drone services for aerial assessments of crops.Officials said that using drones is a practical and cost-effective w...

WINNIPEG, MB - Canadian pulses are some of the most sustainable crops in the world, and a national group is looking to back that up with even more data. Pulses include items like beans, lentils and peas.Pulse Canada is asking chickpea growers to participate in a survey looking at the environmental impact of that crop's...