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
AgTech Firm Spade Technologies Expands into Manitoba Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Spade Technologies, an AI-first software company developing intelligence infrastructure for the dairy sector, has announced that it will establish its Canadian headquarters in Manitoba with support from SVG Ventures | THRIVE, a global agrifood innovation and investment platform. The... Read this article online
Alveo partners with AgriNerds on bird flu surveillance Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Poultry producers may soon have access to a new tool designed to improve how they monitor and respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) threats. Alveo Technologies and AgriNerds have announced a partnership that will combine rapid on-farm molecular testing with real-time... Read this article online
Cleanfarms Collection Program Returns to Saskatchewan Monday, August 24, 2026 Southern Saskatchewan farmers will soon have an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides and expired livestock or equine medications through a free environmental stewardship program organized byCleanfarms. The Unwanted Pesticides and Old Livestock/Equine Medications (UPLM)... Read this article online
”Reasonable indication” of wheat gluten dumping hurting Canada Monday, August 24, 2026 Dumping of wheat gluten from some countries is likely harming Canada’s domestic industry, an independent body said. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) determined on Aug. 18 there’s “a reasonable indication” of domestic injury because of wheat gluten dumping from Italy,... Read this article online
Rain Offers Relief to Drought-Stricken U.S. Regions as Strong El Niño Signals Wetter Fall Ahead Monday, August 24, 2026 Farmers across several drought-affected regions of the United States could soon receive much-needed moisture as changing weather patterns begin to emerge, according to the latest from Nutrien meteorologist Eric Snodgrass. The outlook points to rainfall reaching some of the driest... Read this article online