Harvest Gala

Ag Minister Kody Blois Has Been Re-Elected — Now Comes the Hard Part

Kody Blois is headed back to Ottawa after securing re-election — and he’s bringing a renewed sense of urgency to his role as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development. Blois has officially secured his third consecutive election victory. The Nova Scotia MP was re-elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Kings–Hants in yesterday’s election. In the wake of a fiercely competitive campaign that culminated in the recent ag leaders debate hosted by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture on April 17, Blois wasted no time reinforcing his commitment to farmers, ranchers, and the entire agri-food sector. Speaking during the debate, he made it clear that under his watch, agriculture will not take a back seat — it will drive Canada’s broader economic strategy. “We are living in a very uncertain world, and this is a crucial moment for Canada,” Blois said. “Under the leadership of Mark Carney as our prime minister, we will not only have the best plan to h

Solid US Corn, Soybean Planting Progress

US corn and soybean producers made good progress in the fields this past week, with planting for both crops remaining ahead of the five-year average.  Monday’s USDA crop progress report showed 24% of the nationwide corn crop was in the ground as of Sunday, up 12 points from a week earlier and 2 points ahead of the five-year average. However, that was still 1 point behind last year and the average pre-report trade guess.   Meanwhile, soybean planting jumped 10 points on the week to 18% complete as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of expectations and topping last year and the five-year average at 17% and 12%, respectively.  Producers in Iowa are moving especially fast. Corn planting in the state advanced 16 points from a week earlier to 34% done, 6 points ahead of average but still a single point behind last year. An estimated 25% of the Iowa soybean crop was in the ground, compared to 11% the previous week, 23% last year and 13% on average.  In Illinois, corn planting gained 9 points on th

Winter Wheat Condition Surprises to the Upside; Good Spring Wheat Planting Progress

The condition of the US winter wheat crop showed good improvement this past week, while national spring wheat planting progress jumped.  The USDA crop progress report on Monday pegged the national winter wheat crop at 49% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 4 points from a week earlier and beating the average pre-report trade guess of 47%. With this past week’s gain, the condition of the 2025 crop now matches last year and is single point above the initial USDA rating in early April.  Further improvement could be in store as well, as an estimated 75% of the US Hard Red Winter wheat areas received good rains from Friday through Sunday, with more in the forecast for this week.  In the top production state of Kansas, the condition of the crop improved 6 points on the week to 47% good to excellent as of Sunday, while the Oklahoma crop gained 5 points to 44% good to excellent. On the other hand, the condition of the Soft Red crop in Michigan fell 7 points on the week to 58% good to excell

AgriStability enrolment deadline extended to July 31, 2025 (Saskatchewan)

Today, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison, along with federal, provincial, and territorial governments, announced the AgriStability enrolment deadline for the existing 2025 program year is extended (without penalty) from April 30, 2025, to July 31, 2025. The extension of the deadline is for the status quo program. The proposed changes announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are still being considered and have not been implemented. The nature of the existing AgriStability Program makes it well suited to support producers. As a margin-based program, AgriStability responds when a producer's whole farm profitability is impacted, including by rising costs and declining market prices. Tariffs have the potential to impact the prices producers receive for sold commodities. Coverage is personalized for each farm operation by using historical information, based on income tax and supplementary information. Farmers experiencing losses are encouraged to apply for interim payme

2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers

The 2025 federal election sparked concern among western Canadian farmers, who voiced frustration over the West’s limited political influence, fears of economic impact, and uncertainty about the Conservative Party’s future.