General & Production Tips

BLT costs harder to swallow with U.S. pig virus, drought

By GFM Network News July 9, 2014

Chicago | Reuters — The cost to produce a BLT, America’s favorite summer sandwich, hit a record high of US$1.65 in May and will continue to take a bigger bite out of wallets in the coming months, given a pig virus that has ramped up bacon prices and drought-stricken salad crops in California. But price […] Read more

Soldiers prepare sandbags at Portage la Prairie, Man. to protect property at risk of flooding along the Assiniboine River. (Co-operator photo by Shannon VanRaes)

General, Weather

Lenders offer breaks in flood-impacted Prairie areas

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News July 8, 2014

Farmers and others hit by widespread summer flooding in western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan may be able to seek deferrals on payments to lenders. Some Prairie lenders, while pledging financial support to flood relief in the region, have also pledged to work with affected farmers and other customers to ease their loan payment obligations. Farm […] Read more

General, Markets

Canada pans USDA’s planned shifts in cross-border inspection fees

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News July 7, 2014

Plans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recover more of its agricultural quarantine inspection (AQI) costs from users moving goods into the country have left Canada officially underwhelmed. Canada’s International Trade Minister Ed Fast said last week the proposal by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to adjust AQI user fees “would […] Read more

Hormel Foods, the makers of Spam canned lunch meat, introduced its Sir Can-a-Lot character in 2012. The use of the term “spam” to describe unwanted email is believed to be derived less from the product itself and more from a 1970 comedy sketch about Spam by British comedy troupe Monty Python. (Store.Spam.com)

General, Machinery

CASL Defenses, Part 1: Spam law to affect virtually every business in Canada

By GFM Network News June 26, 2014

New anti-spam regulations that go into effect July 1 will do more than prevent spamming within Canada by Canadian businesses. Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) is a catch-all net that covers all forms of electronic messaging, from email and newsletters to social media and software downloads. Businesses that don’t comply face fines of up to $10 […] Read more

General, Machinery

CASL Defenses, Part 2: The ifs, ands and buts of new anti-spam legislation

By GFM Network News June 26, 2014

It’s July 2 — the day after Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into effect. You’ve just started a new job. Your predecessor left behind a binder containing the business cards of clients. You start your day by sending out emails to the addresses on those cards to introduce yourself and to ask if you can […] Read more

General, Machinery

CASL Defenses, Part 3: Anti-spam law touches off ironic flurry of email

By GFM Network News June 26, 2014

If you are weary of receiving requests to stay on or get on mailing lists from Canadian companies, don’t worry – it should stop in a few days. In fact, it must stop by July 1, because after that, companies that send emails asking for your express consent to receive emails, newsletters and other commercial […] Read more

Home to ag industry researchers and analysts including Al Mussell (shown here in 2010), Kevin Grier and Claudia Schmidt, the George Morris Centre is now expected to wind down its operations later this year. (Country Guide photo by Olivia Brown Photographic)

General, Markets

Farm think-tank tapped out as George Morris Centre folds

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News June 20, 2014

Facing “challenging” financial straits, one of Canada’s best-known agriculture and agri-food research organizations has announced plans to close later this year. The board of the George Morris Centre on Thursday announced it plans to dissolve the Guelph-based organization, and transfer its net assets back to the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC). The centre […] Read more

On a trade mission in China, federal and B.C. government officials Tuesday signed off on a phytosanitary arrangement that’s expected to lead to Chinese market access for B.C. cherries. (Gov.bc.ca via Flickr)

General, Markets

China trade trip seen clearing paths for beef, fruit, hay

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News June 19, 2014

A Canadian trade mission to China is reported to be paying dividends including a formal agreement through which China will move toward accepting Canadian bone-in beef. That agreement, announced Tuesday, calls for China to work with Canadian officials to provide access for Canadian bone-in beef derived from animals less than 30 months of age (UTMs) […] Read more

General, Weather

Southern Alta. readies ‘de-watering’ equipment

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News June 19, 2014

Alberta’s provincial agriculture department is distributing pumps to communities in the province’s south to support “de-watering efforts” as waterways rise under continued rainfall pressure. Municipalities and response agencies have reported to the province that the impact to date from heavy rainfall in the region is “significantly lower” than last year’s flooding. However, a number of […] Read more

General, Weather

S. Alberta watching waterways, threat seen less severe than 2013

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News June 19, 2014

Faced with “significant” rainfall, parts of southern Alberta and downstream jurisdictions have again been bracing for late-spring flooding. The province said Wednesday it’s moving “pre-emptively” to co-ordinate responders and has activated its 24-hour provincial emergency operations centre. “Thankfully, the flood threat we are seeing this year is not as severe or widespread as what we […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. grains: Wheat falls after hitting six-week high on U.S., Russia crop worries

U.S. livestocK: CME cattle advance as brutal cold threatens herds

Federal food affordability measures, food security strategy announced

General

BLT costs harder to swallow with U.S. pig virus, drought

Lenders offer breaks in flood-impacted Prairie areas

Canada pans USDA’s planned shifts in cross-border inspection fees

CASL Defenses, Part 1: Spam law to affect virtually every business in Canada

CASL Defenses, Part 2: The ifs, ands and buts of new anti-spam legislation

CASL Defenses, Part 3: Anti-spam law touches off ironic flurry of email

Farm think-tank tapped out as George Morris Centre folds

China trade trip seen clearing paths for beef, fruit, hay

Southern Alta. readies ‘de-watering’ equipment

S. Alberta watching waterways, threat seen less severe than 2013

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