Uncollectible loans and unsustainable agriculture Sunday, April 3, 2011 The Nova Scotia government wrote off $16.2 million in bad loans from 2008. The loans included more than $1 million in uncollectible student loans, and smaller amounts for pharmacare premiums and unpaid fees. But by far the majority of the uncollectible loans had been made by the Nova Scotia agriculture department. "This unusually high amount is due to defaulted hog loan accounts under the Farm Loan Board," said a ministry of finance press release."For many years, hog farming in Nova Scotia was heavily subsidized by government," the release went on. "When government support was discontinued in 2007-08, many hog farmers were unable to sustain their business due to low pork prices and rising production costs."The Canadian Pork Council's public relations manager, Gary Stordy, says the Nova Scotia industry has collapsed. There are six pig farms left, compared to more than 80 four years ago.Many provinces offer loans to producers of various commodities, Stordy says. Another pork example is Big Sky Farms Inc. in Saskatchewan. The province now has a stake in the embattled company. BP Inconsistent reports on red meat The 'bacon bubble' that didn't burst
Al-Katib says Canada has Resources and Talent to Lead the World Wednesday, July 2, 2025 In a recent episode of Asia Pacific Conversations, Murad Al-Katib, CEO of AGT Foods and Ingredients, shared insights into the journey of Canadian agriculture in global markets. As the head of a Saskatchewan-based startup that has grown into a billion-dollar international food company,... Read this article online
Drought Support for Saskatchewan Includes Allowing Low Yield Crops as Livestock Feed Wednesday, July 2, 2025 The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is implementing urgent support for producers dealing with ongoing dry conditions. The federal and provincial agriculture ministers have announced changes that allow low-yielding crop acres to be salvaged for livestock feed through a doubled... Read this article online
Canadian Farmers Increase Wheat and Soybean Acres Wednesday, July 2, 2025 In 2025, Canadian farmers increased the planting of wheat, oats, soybeans, lentils, corn, and dry peas, while reducing the area seeded to canola and barley. The warm and dry spring conditions across much of Western Canada helped speed up seeding operations, with all Prairie provinces... Read this article online
Manitoba pork, canola producers hold steady amid heavy tariffs Wednesday, July 2, 2025 A slab of back bacon from Natural Raised Pork comes with a waitlist. Ian Smith points to tariffs. Since the United States placed levies on imports from Canada, Manitobans have increasingly been calling Smith about his farm near Argyle, some 40 kilometres northwest of... Read this article online
Crop and Pasture Health Rise in Alberta Wednesday, July 2, 2025 According to the AFSC and Alberta Government Crop Reporting Survey, Alberta's crop conditions improved significantly this week. Major crops are now rated 59 percent good to excellent, up 10 percent from the previous week. However, this is still below the five- and ten-year averages of 73 and... Read this article online