What Farmers Need to Know Now

AgriStability: what removing the reference margin limit means for your farm

2021-2022 Changes to AgriStability 

Producers and producer groups across Alberta and Canada, identified the reference margin limit (RML) as a key irritant of the AgriStability program and advocated to governments for its removal. In March of this year, the federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers came to an agreement to remove the RML, retroactive to the 2020 program year and extending the 2021 deadline for producer enrollment to June 30, 2021. 

The removal of the RML is intended to make AgriStability simpler, more predictable and more equitable across all agriculture sectors. It continues to provide producers with a whole-farm risk management program that offers protection against disasters and margin declines of 30 per cent or more that threaten their farm viability.  

In order to better understand the impact on your operations the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions worked with AFSC to provide additional examples as to what this change might mean for your farm. 

The Growing Point: a special edition on PGR options for barley

Barley growers now have two plant growth regulator (PGR) options to mitigate lodging risk in barley. Both Manipulator and Moddus are registered for use on barley in Canada. However, growers may be asking what the right choice is for their farm.

In this special edition of The Growing Point, myself and my colleague Dr. Sheri Strydhorst discuss the relevant agronomic information on PGR options for barley, so you can decide what's right for your farm.

Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions call for redefinition of Canadian Grain Commission role to better serve farmers

As part of the Canada Grain Act review, the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions call for an end to mandatory outward weighing and inspection services by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) that impose additional costs on farmers, and the expansion of the CGC’s role in supporting farmers’ rights to dispute grading results. 

Alberta producer organizations encourage the Government of Alberta to accept the current AgriStability proposal

Following this morning’s statement by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau and the Honourable Jim Carr on the federal government’s proposed improvements to AgriStability, 11 of Alberta’s agriculture commodity and producer groups are requesting the Government of Alberta to accept the proposed changes. 

Now available to all western Canadian producers, FarmCash opens spring advance application with new features

Starting March 15, for the first time in its history, FarmCash is accepting spring advance applications from all western Canadian producers. This announcement follows the multi-provincial expansion of the FarmCash program made public on February 17, 2021. While funds cannot be released until the official Advance Payments Program open date on April 1, producers can complete their online application today and explore new account features including a designated FarmCash account manager and an online account dashboard. These features provide a cash advance experience tailored to the unique needs of agriculture producers.

2021 Blue Book now available at albertabluebook.com

Four of Alberta's crop commissions including Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Wheat Commission have produced the 2021 Blue Book - now available for order and download.