General & Production Tips

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Joe Oliver head to the House of Commons to deliver Tuesday’s budget. (Deb Ransom photo courtesy PMO)

Oliver budget boosts capital gains exemption, trade funds

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 21, 2015

A higher lifetime capital gains exemption on sales of farm property, accelerated capital cost allowance for food processing equipment and, further out, more money to boost agrifood exports are among the offerings for farmers in Tuesday’s federal budget. Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver on Tuesday described his 2015 Economic Action Plan as “a balanced budget, just […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

Eyes on election, Tories balance budget with asset sales

By GFM Network News April 21, 2015

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Conservative government, seeking re-election this year, delivered a federal budget Tuesday that promised a slim surplus despite the oil price crash, while offering goodies to seniors and small businesses and boosting security spending. It will mark Canada’s first surplus in eight years, accomplished with the help of the sale of […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

Fast-track avoids ‘mistakes from our past’ on trade: Obama

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 16, 2015

Washington | Reuters –– U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday praised a bipartisan bill that would fast-track trade deals through Congress, urging lawmakers to pass it quickly so his administration can advance a trade pact with Pacific nations. “The bill put forward today would help us write those rules in a way that avoids the […] Read more

General, Markets

Funds blocked from investing in Sask. farmland, for now

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 13, 2015

Saskatchewan’s government plans to take a closer look at its rules on investment in farmland, but will block such investments by pension funds and other “institutional” investors while the review is underway. The province said Monday it will soon run further consultations and a review of farmland ownership rules as now laid out under the […] Read more

General, Reuters, Weather

Japan forecaster sees El Nino likely to emerge by summer

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 10, 2015

Tokyo | Reuters –– Japan’s weather bureau said in its monthly outlook on Friday that the possibility of an El Nino weather pattern forming by summer remains high, but gave no probability forecast. The previous El Nino, which emerged last summer, ended over winter and conditions appear to be normal now, the bureau said. Last […] Read more

General, Weather

Private wells added to Sask. flood protection program

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 9, 2015

A provincial program covering Saskatchewan residents’ costs to put up emergency, permanent flood protection has been expanded to include projects to protect private wells. The province’s Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program (EFDRP) is offered to communities, rural municipalities, businesses, non-profit organizations, individual farm and country residences and cottages facing “imminent flooding.” The 2015 program, launched […] Read more

General, Reuters, Weather

U.S. forecaster now sees 70 per cent chance of El Nino summer

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 9, 2015

New York | Reuters –– A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday raised its forecast for the chance of El Nino conditions during the Northern Hemisphere summer to 70 per cent, up from a 60 per cent chance last month, with a 60 per cent chance it lasts through autumn. The Climate Prediction Center, an […] Read more

(Todd Rosenberg photo via KraftFoodsGroup.com)

Cereals, Dairy Cattle, General, Markets, Reuters

Kraft to combine with Heinz in deal led by 3G, Buffett

By GFM Network News March 25, 2015

Reuters — Ketchup maker H.J. Heinz, owned by 3G Capital and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, is acquiring a majority stake in Kraft Foods Group to create the third-largest North American food company, executives said on Wednesday. Shares of Kraft — which operates 35 plants in Canada, the U.S. and Puerto Rico — were up more […] Read more

Jocelyne Handfield Rheaume, who lost her husband to a work-related farm injury, is featured on a video prepared for Quebec’s Farm Health and Safety Week. (SiOnSavait.ca)

General, Machinery

Ag Safety Week urges farmers to “be the difference”

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News March 14, 2015

Acting to improve a farm’s safety systems before a problem appears is the focus of this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, beginning Sunday. The week, running March to 21 in a co-promotion between the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) and the Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with sponsorship from Farm Credit Canada, is themed “Be the Difference.” […] Read more

General, Markets

Guenther: McDonald’s sustainability goals to reach beyond beef

By Lisa Guenther, GFM Network News March 12, 2015

Farmers who want to keep supplying the world’s biggest quick-service restaurant chains can expect more scrutiny of their methods going forward. That’s because the chains’ customers appear to be looking for more sustainably-produced food — so companies such as McDonald’s in turn are looking for third-party verification to prove the ingredients they source make the […] Read more

GFM Network News

‘Significant’ Canadian GDP slide expected in 2026, FCC says

Gene edited, PRRS resistant pig approved in Canada

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end week higher

General