Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AgVisionTV.com: Watch the video discussion on Farm Debt and what it means.

This panel discussion looks at what ballooning farm debt could do to agriculture in the coming years.

 

Click on this link to watch the video online.

Views: 152

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom Cox on January 27, 2010 at 6:10pm
Thanks Kevin, I've always enjoyed your program but never seem to remember to watch on the weekends when its on here. The internet format suits me a lot better.

It would be interesting to break out the Ontario farm debt numbers a little more between those who depend on agriculture as a primary means of income and those where it is supplemental to one or two outside family incomes. If my wife and I both work off farm and earn a decent living and then farm a little bit on the side then my debt load relative to income is going to be a different issue than if the farm is my only source of income. It would be interesting to get at some of the reasons in the large difference between here in Ontario and western Canada.
Permalink Reply by David Kopriva on January 29, 2010 at 5:56am
I am surprised beyond belief about the Ag land price increases over the past few years. The mentality of speculating with Ag land for a quick buck is counter to historical evidence. Ag land is not like the stock market where you can buy stocks and sell the next day if needed. If the market goes sour (like it has), the title holder is stuck with huge minimum interest payments costs incapable of being absorbed by Ag production revenues. Ag land is not easily transferable, it is not a product that has a ready market, it has remained an exclusive commodity for a very small group of buyers and sellers. With the creation of financial instruments such as land trusts this has changed but only slightly. What the land trusts don't understand is the relationship between the land and the sustainers of the land. Historically this relationship goes beyond industrial terminology such as" production, yield, input, etc". I do not believe the relationship between stewardship and land production can or should change. We have good evidence that the past 40-50 years of this type of separation between this inseparable relationship is counter productive to land sustainability.
The present land grab will in short time leave allot of unhappy share holders in land trusts and speculators. It's like a tight wound clock ready to unwind. I see evidence of this unwinding in pockets of the country where high value production land is prized for all the wrong reasons. The Greenbelt Act in Ontario has taken away the opportunity of residential/ commercial land development and is trying to return the land back to it's rightful purpose, that being Ag production. But no one in his/her right mind will buy land at its present price because the prices does not reflect Ag potential. Land has been sitting fallow for a number of years and the last stat. report from the government shows an alarming reduction in farms in the area since 2001. The fundementals of supply and demand have never failed. Whether through government intervention, supply of a commodity or other factors. Land prices will return back to their production values or a continueing exodus from agriculture will continue. The latter scenario is frightening since the agricultural community is the community that feeds the country. Right now the present land values place the citizens of Canada in a position of future food beggers. A reduction in a wide variety of food production will leave us vulnerable to the supply networks of international food production and also makes us vulnerable to their system of agriculture.
As the reader can see there is allot to think about when we as a country talk about land prices. Farmers are amazing people, a profession that is unique in many ways. With speculation on land prices this profession will continue to experience unecessary stress from financial structures that have no place in the sustainability of Canadian agriculture.
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on January 29, 2010 at 10:09am
Good show Kevin.

I enjoyed watching online...it is a challenge to catch your show on TV some weekends.

Thanks

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Increased U.S. Refinery Exemptions May Have Implications for Canola

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is warning that a sharp increase in small refinery exemptions under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard could significantly weaken domestic soybean oil demand, with potential implications extending into the canola market. In a new release Tuesday, ASA said recent reports suggest exemptions for the 2025 RFS compliance year could exceed 1.8 billion Renewable Identification Number credits under a revised methodology now being considered. That would be nearly double the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assumed when it finalized its 2026-27 Renewable Volume Obligation rule. The ASA said such a large increase in exemptions could wipe out roughly 500 million gallons of biomass-based diesel demand and cost U.S. soybean farmers about US$1 billion in lost revenue. The issue is important for Canadian canola markets because Chicago soyoil prices are widely regarded as a leading price driver and directional indicator for canola oil and canola

Spring Wheat Harvest Accelerates Past Halfway Mark

The U.S. spring wheat harvest accelerated sharply this past week, while crop condition ratings slipped slightly. Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the national spring wheat harvest at 62% complete as of Sunday, up 21 points from a week earlier. Progress was also well ahead of the 51% harvested at the same point last year and the five-year average of 52%. South Dakota remained furthest along, with 91% of its spring wheat crop harvested, up from 81% a week earlier and ahead of the 85% average. Minnesota reached 78% complete, up from 63%. North Dakota, the largest U.S. spring wheat-producing state, made strong progress as well, with 56% of the crop harvested, up from 37% the previous week and ahead of the five-year average of 40%. Montana harvest reached 55%, nearly doubling from 28% a week earlier, although progress remained slightly behind the 60% average. Meanwhile, national spring wheat condition ratings weakened modestly. The USDA rated 51% of the crop good to excellent

Manitoba Harvest Reaches 4% as Drier Weather Helps Fieldwork

Manitoba’s harvest advanced over the past week as drier conditions allowed producers to make progress in winter cereals, peas and early spring grains, although activity remains limited in several regions. Tuesday's weekly crop report showed about 4% of the province’s major crops had been harvested as of Monday. The Central region was furthest along at 9%, followed by the Eastern region at 5%. The Southwest and Interlake were each 2% complete, while the Northwest was at just 1%. Winter wheat and fall rye harvest were each 66% complete provincially. Progress reached 99% in the Central region, while winter wheat was 95% harvested in the Eastern region. Spring wheat, barley and oats were each 7% harvested across Manitoba, while field pea harvest had reached 24%. Canola harvest was just getting underway at 2%, concentrated in the Central region. Crop development continues to advance toward maturity. Spring cereals are generally in the hard dough stage or moving into harvest, with desi

Canadian crops depend on honey bees, but disease and environmental stressors are putting them at risk

Honey bees may be best known for making honey, but they also play a vital role in Canadian agriculture, acting as pollinators for important crops like hybrid canola, sunflowers and berries. Their work supports billions of dollars in agricultural production and economic activity each year. The health of the Western honey bee (Apis Mellifera) is under threat from disease and many environmental stressors, including a rapidly changing climate.  Dr. Nuria Morfin, assistant professor in entomology in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, has been awarded a new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant to study how the community of microbes interact with the honey bee to cause disease.  “It’s estimated that honey bee colonies contribute about $7 billion annually to the Canadian economy through pollinating important crops like hybrid canola,” says Morfin. “We need to better understand how stressors interact and affect honey bee health and productivit

Canada announces retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.

The trade war between Canada and the U.S. continues to escalate.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service