Ag News

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference announced the results of its strike vote this week, with 98 percent of members voting in favor of a strike mandate.

Negotiations have been taking place this week with CPKC for its Train and Engine, and Rail Traffic Controllers

In a statement on the CPKC website they emphasize that they don't want to see a work stoppage and remain focused on reaching a balanced and responsible agreement through the collective bargaining process.

Saskatchewan's efforts to rebuild a strong working relationship with India seems to be paying off.

This week, the province announced that India will provide full diplomatic accreditation for the Managing Director of the Saskatchewan India office.  

Saskatchewan opened a trade and investment office in New Delhi in 2020 and has seen a strong trading relationship.

Last fall, 41 Canadian diplomatic staff, including the province's representative, were required to leave the country after diplomatic relations between Canada and India deteriorated.

The company opening its newly expanded facility in Nisku.

Earlier this year, we told you the company had qualified for Alberta's Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit and was granted a conditional approval for a tax credit of up to nearly $1.3 million.

The program provides a 12% non-refundable tax credit when corporations invest $10 million or more in a project to build or expand a value-added agri-processing facility in Alberta. 

Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson congratulating the company on it's new facility.

There are currently 51 water shortage advisories in place in Alberta for select water management areas.

The recent snowfall and moisture have been a welcome sight, and there is growing optimism with long-range forecasts calling for a wetter Spring and Summer, but there is no guarantee.

Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, says we must remain prepared for drought now and into the future.

"Alberta’s Drought Response Plan is foundational to that work and will help our province respond to all levels of drought for years to come."

The Growing Home with BASF initiative was launched in Western Canada in 2023 as a way to give back to the communities where BASF customers live, work and play. 

BASF will distribute $100,000 between four organizations in four provinces to support local initiatives in rural Canadian communities

This year’s program received 624 nominations from growers, which were narrowed down to 12 finalists, three each in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

There's a growing concern in the grain industry about the potential for a rail strike.

A major rail strike impacting both railways could be just days away after employees voted 98 percent in favor of a strike mandate.

Close to 10,000 rail workers at CN and CPKC have voted to go on strike unless a deal can be reached. 

The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) says this is a key concern, with approximately 94% of Canadian grain being transported by rail and destined for export markets.

Close to 10,000 rail workers at CN and CPKC have voted to go on strike unless a deal can be reached with the railways. 

CN and CPKC engineers and conductors, and CPKC rail traffic controllers voted 98 percent in favor of a strike mandate that would impact both freight and passenger traffic.

The key issues seem to be around wages and scheduling.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference President Paul Boucher says both railways want to have federal minimum safety standards for rest periods.

We've seen a real mix of weather on the Prairies this week, from rain in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to snow in Alberta.

Farmers all across the prairies have been really hoping to see wetter weather this spring to help alleviate the drought conditions that we've seen in many areas over the last few years.

The moisture we've been seeing this week is expected to continue sporadically over the next few days.

Spring seeding activity ground to a halt this week with the rain, but seeding is on par with the five-year average. 

Pulse and Soybean Specialist Dennis Lange puts together the weekly crop report and says seeding is now two per cent complete across the province. 

The most advanced area is in the central region, where about 10 per cent of the crop, mainly cereals and some peas are now in. 

According to Statistics Canada, the 2024 Census Test will begin the following week.

The procedure involves testing the revised census questions and collection methods two years before the next census.

The Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture are scheduled to start collecting data on May 6, 2024, and end in late June. All information gathered will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will not be shared with third parties or kept for later use.