Sidebar 2: How ASRA is calculated Sunday, April 5, 2009 "Quebec's income stabilisation program is a combination of AgriStability and ASRA," says Alain Pouliot, vice-president in charge of the ASRA program at La Financière Agricole du Québec. "The AgriStability program covers two thirds of losses and is funded by both levels of government. The ASRA program is the last program to intervene and it is funded one third by producers and two thirds by the Quebec government." ASRA numbers are based on cost of production (COP) reports which are tabulated by an independent firm. The insurable portion of the COP corresponds to approximately 80 to 90 per cent of a producer's total COP and doesn't factor in ASRA, crop insurance premiums or the return on equity. "The COP for the piglets' program, for instance, is calculated by averaging the production costs of operations ranging from 150 to 600 sows every four to five years, but each expense is adjusted yearly to reflect the market situation," explains Pouliot There were 3,9171 registered hog farmers in Quebec in 2007, but only 1,400 hog farms were registered under the market hog and piglets insurance programs in 2008. Part of the discrepancy can be attributed to contract hog producers, but most of the difference is due to multiple hog farmers (i.e. family members) owning shares in the same hog farm. Approximately 50 per cent of the 7,700 000 hogs for which compensation was paid were owned by belong to independent producers. Genetics: The computer revolution in progeny testing Sidebar 1: Quebec agriculture - a history of intervention
Western Dairy Challenge 2026 Highlights Monday, March 23, 2026 The 2026 Western Regional Dairy Challenge, hosted at the University of Alberta, concluded on March 7 in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. The event brought together 77 students from 15 schools, along with coaches and volunteers, creating a valuable hands-on learning experience in dairy... Read this article online
FCC Expands Support Amid Fertilizer Cost Surges Monday, March 23, 2026 Rising global tensions in the Middle East are creating concern among farmers and agribusinesses about increasing input costs. In response, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has expanded its Trade Disruption Customer Support Program to provide financial relief and stability to those affected by higher... Read this article online
Fears of Stagflation and Recession on the Rise Monday, March 23, 2026 This week’s with experts Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal, Was titled “Higher Crude Oil Futures for Longer = Stagflation?”. The two experts explored major shifts across the commodity sector including rising crude oil... Read this article online
CSBP pushing for domestic production policy Monday, March 23, 2026 The Canadian Sugar Beet Producers (CSBP) wants to see more of its namesake crop grown and processed in Canada. At one point, sugar beets accounted for more than 20 per cent of the Canadian sugar market share. But that’s no longer the case, says Gwen Young, an Alberta sugar beet farmer... Read this article online
New Canadian Swine Research Targets Piglet Disease Monday, March 23, 2026 Swine InnovationPorc(SIP) is investing in new research to address Streptococcus suis, a harmful bacterial disease affecting post-weaned piglets led byDongyanXu Niu at the University of Calgary. This disease can cause serious health problems such as respiratory illness, meningitis, and sudden... Read this article online