A helicopter dumps water on a forest fire in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.  Photo: Thinkstock

Canada forecasts hotter-than-average summer as peak wildfire season nears

Reuters – Canada is expecting a hotter-than-usual summer with slightly below-average precipitation in central Canada, government officials said on Tuesday, offering little relief from ongoing drought and the risk of another bad wildfire season. Last year, Canada experienced its worst-ever fire season, with more than 6,600 blazes burning 15 million hectares, an area roughly seven […] Read more


Photo: Getty Images

France revamps pesticide reduction plan in wake of farmer unrest

Paris | Reuters – France unveiled on Monday a revised plan to halve pesticide use in the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer, pledging to adopt an EU indicator and boost research into alternatives in a nod to grievances voiced in farmer protests this year. Why it’s important Environmental regulation was one of the main factors […] Read more

aerial photo of irregularly shaped manitoba cropland

Bless your mess: Crops may not be best for underperforming acres

Taking poorer-producing ‘messy’ landscapes out of crops may improve fields’ economics and farms’ sustainability

UPDATED, March 7 — It might be difficult to consider “messy” fields as a pathway to improved crop production and profitability. But in the early going, a Prairie-wide university-developed research project suggests taking poor-producing acres out of annual crop production might be a means of improving overall efficiency, as well as the all-important bottom line. […] Read more



The Big River Resources ethanol plant at West Burlington, Iowa, about 120 km southwest of Davenport. (Steven Vaughn photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Biden backs ethanol industry on low-emission aviation fuel tax credits

Aviation is seen as one of the few routes to increase ethanol demand amid rising electric vehicle sales

Reuters - The Biden administration said on Friday it will recognize a methodology favored by the ethanol industry in guidance to companies looking to claim tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a pivotal win for the politically powerful U.S. corn lobby.



File photo of steam rising from the top of a grain dryer. (Diane Kuhl/iStock/Getty Images)

Senate votes to shorten sunset clause on beleaguered Bill C-234

NFU calls for bill to be passed, feds to incentivize clean heating technology for farm buildings

Senators voted by a 44-40 margin yesterday to shorten the sunset clause on carbon price exemption bill C-234. Senator Yuen Pau Woo introduced the amendment on Dec. 7, saying it would align it with the deadline on the Liberal government’s heating oil carbon price exemption.