Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Alberta ag minister, ag critic hang onto seats in election

Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister and official opposition ag critic both appear set to return to the legislature as Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives (UCP) are expected to form a majority government. At about 1 a.m. Alberta time on Tuesday, Smith’s UCP was elected or leading in 49 of 87 constituencies; all remaining 38 went to Rachel Notley’s New Democrats (NDP). The two parties had held 60 and 23 seats respectively before Monday’s election. Nate Horner, the UCP’s most recent minister for agriculture and irrigation, easily held his riding of Drumheller-Stettler on Monday night, drawing 15,274 votes with all polls reporting. His NDP challenger Juliet Franklin followed with 2,684 votes.

Bill C-234 Update (Extending the Carbon Tax Exemption on Farm Fuels)

Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane.

Ontario Corn, Soy Planting Nearing Finish

Outside of rains received last Friday and Saturday, conditions have generally been excellent for field work over the past week which has allowed planting to continue or wrap-up at a quick pace for most parts of the province, according to the latest OMAFRA field crop report released Friday. 

FCC Offers Support to Financially Battered Hog Producers

Farm Credit Canada is making special financial provisions available to hard-hit domestic hog producers. 

Farmers pressure Doug Ford government to reverse course on housing plan

Under pressure from farmers, Premier Doug Ford's government is considering backing off from proposals that would allow more housing to be built on Ontario's dwindling farmland, CBC News has learned.