(Hanieriani/iStock/Getty Images)

Cyber attack frustrates farm equipment dealers

Dealers forced to use manual processes after software provider hacked

CDK provides business management software to dealers of all makes of farm equipment, so major dealers of John Deere, CNH and are working without digital systems across the country. CDK is also the leading provider of management software to automobile dealers and thousands of those dealerships are offline.

Photo: Thinkstock

Funding to help make cattle data gathering easier

Partnership between Angus and Holstein association will look at sharing trait information and how to automate data management

New funding for the Canadian Angus Association and Holstein Canada will allow them to improve the data that goes into genetic evaluations and expand into new areas including carcass quality and traits that help limit the environmental impact of beef.


Photo: Canada Beef

Maritime beef producers get price protection

Two-year pilot gives Maritime producers an equivalent program to the rest of the country

Producers in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and soon Nova Scotia, will have access to a program that will allow them to purchase insurance on price protection for their beef cattle in case of an unforeseen market disruption.




Marco van Leeuwen is the president of the International Seed Federation and managing director of seed company Rijk Zwaan. Photo: John Greig

World Seed Congress addresses global supply chain challenges 

The World Seed Congress is on in Rotterdam, Netherlands with a discussion of the major issues facing the seed and crops sector. The major issues on the agenda include the challenges that the decline in free trade and globalization brings to major suppliers of seeds, the acceptance of gene editing and the technology involved in that process.


Photo: File

New program focuses on data literacy for cow-calf producers 

Case studies and mentoring will help give farm data decision-making power 

The Data Literacy for Cow-Calf Producers project aims to give farmers and ranchers the chance to discuss best practices and learn from experts and peers about how to use data to make better business decisions.  Data management has varied adoption in the cow-calf sector.

Some ag tech startup companies continue to get funding, but it isn’t as much or as likely as during the pandemic years. Photo: Avalon_Studio/iStock/Getty Images

Ag tech venture capital stays on sidelines

Entrepreneurs need patience, more plan to achieve profitability to unlock investment

Agriculture venture capital investment was an outlier in 2023, as it increased slightly over 2022, according to the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA). However, that news belied pessimism on the state of ag tech at the recent Agri Tech Venture Forum in Toronto. The forum heard that the availability of capital for agriculture technology entrepreneurs has dried up significantly compared to the heady days of investment growth during the pandemic years.



The new Vaderstad Seed Hawk 600-900C was launched at Agritechnica.

New Vaderstad drill shows integration with Seed Hawk

The drill is expected to best suit farmers in Eastern Canada as well as Europe and Australia

Vaderstad purchased Canadian seed drill maker Seed Hawk for a reason, and the new Vaderstad Seed Hawk 600-900 C is like a child of the traditions of both companies. There’s Vaderstad’s trademark red colour, and its attention to detail in building of planters and drills, including its E-Control data management system. But the 600-900 C […] Read more