Barren budget Thursday, March 4, 2010 by BETTER FARMING STAFFIf you’re looking for agriculture in this year’s federal budget, you’ll have to do a lot of reading between the lines.The industry received no mention in federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget speech and only passing mention in budget documents posted on Finance Canada’s website. These included $75 million over three years to Canadian cattle processing plants to improve their operations and $51.7 million over two years to the Canadian Grain Commission.In a news release last week, Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Laurent Pellerin noted that “the government has promised us that they put ‘farmers first’ and we expect this message will be delivered in the throne speech.”The $281 billion budget aims to reduce the Canadian deficit more than $4 billion from its high of $53.8 billion in 2009.Along with pledging $7.7 billion in infrastructure spending, highlights included:• $2.2 billion in stimulus spending to support areas of the country and industry hardest hit by the recession, including agriculture, small business and forestry;• $135 million over two years to the National Research Council Canada’s regional innovation clusters program;• $40 million over two years to launch a small and medium-sized enterprise innovation commercialization program;• $49 million to regional development agencies to support innovation;• Establishing a red tape reduction commission;• $7.2 million over two years to improve Canadian fish and seafood industry access to international markets;• Increasing the amount people can earn before paying federal income tax and being subject to higher tax rates;• Expanding eligibility for accelerated capital cost allowance for investment in clean energy generation;• Cutting administrative spending, including introducing a government salary freeze for workers and politicians, introducing tax changes and other initiatives with the goal of saving $17.6 billion over five years;• Introducing more employment insurance benefits and funding to retrain unemployed;• Reducing the federal corporate income tax rate to 15 per cent by 2012 from its 2010 rate of 18 per cent.“The crisis emerged more quickly and with greater force than anyone could have predicted,” says Flaherty in his budget speech. No banks in Canada have failed and the country is in a position to ensure the deficit it has amassed to counter the downturn are temporary. The country is performing better than the United States and other advanced economies in its recovery, he says. BF Dairy Farmers tackle quota availability Goat milk producers ponder change
Shell Rotella’s SuperTractors competition Friday, September 26, 2025 Farmers put in long hours and endless dedication to feed and support their communities, and Shell Rotella is proud to spotlight these farmers with the fifth annual competition. Coinciding with —Sunday, October 12, 2025—the virtual event invites farmers across North America to share... Read this article online
Save Time and Costs with the Portable MiniCombine Friday, September 26, 2025 MiniCombine Delivers Fast and Accurate Grain Sampling The MiniCombine is a portable, fully self-contained electric unit designed to simplify grain sampling with speed and precision. Suitable for a wide range of crops including wheat, barley, sorghum, oats, soybeans, peas, field beans,... Read this article online
Advanced aerial tools bring data driven farming solutions Friday, September 26, 2025 Modern agriculture is quickly embracing aerial technology to improve crop management and boost productivity. Terralynx (Formerly TerraNova UAV), a company once focused only on drones, now specializes in advanced data collection and analysis that supports farmers and researchers. The... Read this article online
What’s New at 2025 Advancing Women Conference--Movie Time on Sunday Night Friday, September 26, 2025 If you're one of the many loyal attendees of the, planning to join us in Niagara Falls this November, you are in for a special treat. This year, AWC EAST 2025 will feature a heartwarming and historically rich film screening that celebrates the resilience, courage, and contribution of young... Read this article online
IPM Plowing Match Winners Celebrated Friday, September 26, 2025 Congratulations to Robert Daniels, of Berwick, Nova Scotia on winning the IPM Champion Horse Plow Person Award with 459 points; Kim Hadwen, Belleville, was the reserve. Congratulation as well to Brian Davenport from Owen Soundwho is the winner of the IPM Champion Tractor Award with 570.5... Read this article online