StatsCan report shows price slide for grain farmers in March, price improvement for hogs and cattle Thursday, June 5, 2014 by MATT MCINTOSH Despite a 19.1 per cent gain in the pork and beef sectors, on Wednesday Statistics Canada reported a three per cent drop in the overall Farm Product Price Index for March, largely attributed to the continued drop in grain prices. The price index, which Statistics Canada’s website says measures the changes in prices that farmers receive for the commodities they produce, indicated a loss in grains of 20.8 per cent this past March compared to March of 2013. It is the latest decline in a price slide that began in August of last year. “It’s one of those situations that makes agriculture tough,” says Dave Sparling, chair of Agri-Food Innovation and Regulation at Western University’s Richard Ivey School of Business. “Better yields mean more grain on the market, which means lower prices,” he says. “Although prices dropped, most grain farmers should still be okay because of the good yields we saw last year.” As for hog and cattle prices, which rose 51.2 and 24.3 per cent respectively when compared to March of last year, Sparling concurs with Statistics Canada’s conclusions that the price increase is largely the result of a substantial shrink in herd size. Beef prices, he says, were not very attractive for some time, so Canada’s herd size was reduced; the pork sector was also hit with a herd reduction due to persistently low commodity prices then reduced even further, both in Canada and the United States, because of disease issues such as specifically porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Now that grain prices have dropped, Sparling says that it is not only more profitable to sell beef and pork, but it is cheaper to produce as well. According to Statistics Canada’s website, the overall impact of higher beef and pork prices was moderated by single-digit declines in supply-managed poultry and eggs. BF Ontario egg producers eye new opportunities for salmonella insurance New local food week good for business say ag groups
Sowing Solutions--Guelph’s Agri-Food Research Gets Federal Spotlight Friday, October 3, 2025 The University of Guelph welcomed two prominent federal representatives for a day of engagement and discovery on Friday, October 3rd. Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for a comprehensive tour... Read this article online
Downtown Diner Delivers a Taste of Canadian Farming to Ottawa Friday, October 3, 2025 This week, the heart of Canada’s capital was filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Canadian agriculture as Sparks Street played host to the Downtown Diner, a pop-up event celebrating Canadian food and the farmers who make it possible. At the center of the conversation was... Read this article online
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
Effective Strategies for Corn Soybean and Wheat Thursday, October 2, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, effective crop residue management in corn, soybean, and wheat fields is key to profitability and long-term soil health. It begins at harvest, with combines and headers set correctly to size and spread residue evenly across the... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online