Agriculture

Agriculture

The Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - BHP (Mandatory Credit)

BHP hikes cost of Jansen potash mine project in Saskatchewan by US$2 billion

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

SASKATOON - Global mining giant BHP says the second phase of its Jansen potash mine is expected to cost 40 per cent more than previously expected.

The Australia-based company says it now estimates a price tag of US$6.9 billion, up from the US$4.9 billion it had anticipated when it was approved in 2023.

BHP is expecting first production in late 2031 from the mine east of Saskatoon, later than its original expected startup date of 2029.

It says the two-year extension, announced in August of last year, has allowed the miner to review its cost and schedule estimates.

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Agriculture

A Richardson's ground squirrel takes in the golf action at a golf course in Banff, Alta., on July 25, 2011. Strychnine has been temporarily allowed for farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan to deal with the ground squirrel, commonly called gophers in Western Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

‘Out of luck’: Strychnine arrives late for Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Out of luck’: Strychnine arrives late for Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

The first window of time for farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan to obtain strychnine to deal with burgeoning ground squirrel populations is about to run out, and many producers are now hoping for better luck next spring.

Wade Nelson, who farms near High River, Alta., about 66 kilometres south of Calgary, said it's best to deal with the rodents when they come out of hibernation and begin mating.

"After the middle of June, you're pretty well out of luck," Nelson said.

Health Canada had previously banned the chemical out of concern for endangered species — such as burrowing owls and swift foxes — and the broader ecosystem.

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Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

Agriculture

A customer looks for produce at a grocery store in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Carney announces national food security strategy meant to expand choice, lower prices

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Carney announces national food security strategy meant to expand choice, lower prices

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

OTTAWA — The Liberal government has announced a national food security strategy aimed at giving Canadians more access to locally produced fruit, vegetables and other fresh items at lower prices.

The plan outlined Thursday is intended to change the way food is bought, sold, transported and distributed in Canada to better support farmers, small independent players and consumers.

The government says the strategy is backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years.

It includes $1 billion for infrastructure — including food terminals and hubs — to help independent grocers compete with large retailers by making it easier for them to buy from farmers and food processors.

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Agriculture

Martin Imbleau, president and CEO of Alto, second from right, points at Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe as Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Steven MacKinnon, right, looks on following an announcement about the next steps for high-speed rail during a press conference in Gatineau, Que., on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Farm groups urge review of Alto rail project, citing costs and impacts

Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Farm groups urge review of Alto rail project, citing costs and impacts

Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 8, 2026

MONTREAL - Farm organizations from Quebec, Ontario and across Canada are calling on Ottawa to revisit the proposed high-speed rail line between Quebec City and Toronto, saying the project could cost far more than projected and cause significant damage to agricultural land.

The Union des producteurs agricoles, Quebec’s largest farm organization, joined the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture to call for a new review of the Alto high-speed rail project. Experts and several representatives from the agricultural sector held a press conference on Monday in Berthierville, Que., in the Lanaudière region.

''We are not opposed to progress, but progress cannot come at the expense of the people and the farmland that feeds our communities and this country,'' said Drew Spoelstra, president of the Ontario federation.

The groups pointed to a study published in September 2025 by three researchers from three universities: HEC Montréal, a business school affiliated with the Université de Montréal; Université Laval; and the University of Waterloo. The research was not commissioned by the agricultural organizations.

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Monday, Jun. 8, 2026

Agriculture

Morgan Lehmann, left, stands next to her brother Josh Lehmann in an undated handout photo. Josh died by suicide in October 2023 at the age of 20. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Morgan Lehmann (Mandatory Credit)

‘Pick-up man’: Organizations work to address mental health of Canadian farmers

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘Pick-up man’: Organizations work to address mental health of Canadian farmers

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Sunday, Jun. 7, 2026

Josh Lehmann was a cowboy from Rosthern, a tiny town near where the North and South Saskatchewan rivers meet and the open prairie rolls into the northern boreal forest.

He was a rodeo rider, a good friend, someone who would stop whatever they were doing to help.

Inside he struggled with his mental health, said his sister.

"He was just a cowboy through and through," Morgan Lehmann said in an interview from her family’s ranch northeast of Saskatoon.

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Sunday, Jun. 7, 2026

Agriculture

A ranch worker drives cattle to a corral for inspection for New World screwworm at a ranch in Cintalapa, Chiapas, Mexico, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, amid an infestation that led the U.S. to suspend cattle imports over fears the pest could reach the border. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

Canada temporarily blocking livestock from Texas due to New World screwworm

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Canada temporarily blocking livestock from Texas due to New World screwworm

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

OTTAWA - Canada is temporarily restricting the import of livestock from Texas over concerns about a parasitic fly with flesh-eating larvae.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said animals that are from Texas or were present in the state within 21 days of a border crossing will not be allowed into the country.

It comes after an infestation of New World screwworm fly larvae was confirmed this week in a calf in Texas. It's the first case confirmed in the state since 1966.

The agency said several U.S. states have also taken precautionary measures to mitigate the risk of spread.

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Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Agriculture

A forest tent caterpillar is shown in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-Olds College of Agriculture & Technology (Mandatory Credit)

‘Just be amazed:’ Alberta is seeing a cyclical outbreak of caterpillars

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘Just be amazed:’ Alberta is seeing a cyclical outbreak of caterpillars

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

EDMONTON - Forest tent caterpillars are not entomologist Ken Fry's favourite insect but the black-coloured critters with vibrant blue-and-yellow marks do have a soft spot in his heart.

They're why his dad once let him break the house rule of not climbing the two poplar trees in their backyard, so Fry could clamber to the top of one and grab hundreds of caterpillar eggs before they hatched and destroyed leaves.

'I was about seven-years-old ... My dad said, 'Ken, get up that tree, get after those caterpillar eggs," said Fry, who is an instructor at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology in central Alberta.

"This particular species allowed me to climb our tree with wild abandon and absolute endorsement of my parents."

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Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

Agriculture

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to the media at a meeting of western premiers in Kananaskis, Alta., Monday, May 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Premier Moe says new trade deal with India would benefit Saskatchewan despite tariffs

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Premier Moe says new trade deal with India would benefit Saskatchewan despite tariffs

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, May. 29, 2026

REGINA - As Ottawa appears to inch closer to a trade deal with India, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he hopes the agreement addresses punishing tariffs on pulse crops.

But Moe says if the deal doesn't remove the duties, it's something his province can work around. 

"The need for pulses in India is not going to go away. (Saskatchewan's) relationship with India is not going to go away," he told reporters Friday. 

"We've had pulse tariffs come on and off over my time in this position … and each and every time, we've been able to rely on our relationship."

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Friday, May. 29, 2026

Agriculture

Curly leaf lettuce is harvested at an urban hydroponic vertical farm in Montreal on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Opposition, unions fear federal cuts could undermine food security

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Opposition, unions fear federal cuts could undermine food security

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, May. 21, 2026

OTTAWA - New Democrats and several unions are warning that federal job cuts and research facility closures will put food safety and security at risk.

The federal government's website says it's planning to cut more than 650 jobs at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, while the Agriculture Union says the government will cut about 600 more jobs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also said earlier this year it planned to close three research and development centres and four satellite research farms to trim costs.

They include the Lacombe Research and Development Centre in Alberta, the Quebec Research and Development Centre and the Nappan Experimental Farm in Nova Scotia.

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Thursday, May. 21, 2026

Agriculture

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2011, file photo, a mushroom grows at Winslow Park in Freeport, Maine. Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

U.S. slaps duties on fresh Canadian mushrooms over subsidy claims

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

U.S. slaps duties on fresh Canadian mushrooms over subsidy claims

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

WASHINGTON - The United States has put countervailing duties on fresh mushrooms grown in Canada following a U.S. Department of Commerce investigation which the Canadian industry has called "deeply flawed."

The change, posted in the federal register on Monday, will slap most fresh mushrooms with tariffs of 2.84 per cent.

Two companies received separate duties: Champ's Fresh Farms Inc. was hit with a tariff rate of 1.62 per cent and Farmers' Fresh Mushrooms Inc. was hit with a tariff rate of 4.97 per cent.

Separate anti-dumping duties are expected to be added later this month.

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Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

Agriculture

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette in the red room of the National Assembly, May 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec reimbursing farmers for fuel tax, says measure will help competitiveness

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Quebec reimbursing farmers for fuel tax, says measure will help competitiveness

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

DRUMMONDVILLE - Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has responded to pressure from the agriculture sector, promising to reimburse millions of dollars to farmers for fuel taxes linked to the province's carbon market.

Starting in July, more than 15,000 farmers will begin to be reimbursed for the fuel taxes. The government has pledged to transfer a total of $87 million to farmers for the taxes they will pay in 2026 and 2027, with the money coming out of Quebec's climate change fund. 

With Friday's announcement, Fréchette is fulfilling a commitment she had made and addressing the many complaints that had been raised for several years by the province's professional agricultural trade union, Union des producteurs agricoles, or UPA. 

On the sidelines of a biofood industry event in Drummondville, Que., Fréchette told reporters that despite the reimbursements, she didn't think farmers no longer had incentives to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Agriculture

The Statistics Canada offices in Ottawa are seen on Tuesday, May 1, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Controversies and consequences: Five things to know about the census

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Controversies and consequences: Five things to know about the census

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

OTTAWA - People across the country completed their census forms this week, sharing details about their lives, which languages they speak and — for those who got the long-form census — information about their social and economic situations and access to housing.

Here are five things to know about the questionnaire.

The census is more than 350 years old

The federal government's website says the first census in Canada was launched by Jean Talon, colonial administrator for New France, in 1666.

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Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

Agriculture

Saskatchewan crop farmer Jeremy Welter seeds a portion of his approximately 400-hectares of land near Kerrobert, Sask., in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Jeremy Welter (Mandatory Credit)

Saskatchewan seeding delayed by cold temperatures, wet soil but farmers undeterred

Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Saskatchewan seeding delayed by cold temperatures, wet soil but farmers undeterred

Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

When you ask Brett Halstead what challenges he expects to see with seeding at his farm in Saskatchewan, his answer is simple.

"Everything."

Seeding in Saskatchewan has been delayed because of cold temperatures and stubborn spring snow, particularly in the north and east of the province.

On top of the common issue of moisture, farmers in Canada's breadbasket are dealing with war-driven commodity pricing.

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Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

Agriculture

Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Committee calls for reversal of agricultural research centre closures

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Committee calls for reversal of agricultural research centre closures

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

OTTAWA - A House of Commons committee is recommending the government halt its decision to close agricultural research centres and experimental farm sites across Canada as part of its cost-cutting exercise.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said earlier this year it planned to close three research and development centres and four satellite research farms.

The House of Commons agriculture and agri-food committee studied the impact of closures that include the Lacombe Research and Development Centre in Alberta, the Quebec Research and Development Centre, and the Nappan Experimental Farm in Nova Scotia.

The report said witnesses told the committee about the "significant" economic benefits of investing in agricultural science and innovation.

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Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

Agriculture

An aerial view of carrots being harvested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Non-profit, union wary of federal plan to amend food inspection, pest control acts

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Non-profit, union wary of federal plan to amend food inspection, pest control acts

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Sunday, May. 3, 2026

OTTAWA - A non-profit says it's concerned about the government's plan to amend food safety laws to take food security and affordability into account, and is arguing Ottawa is prioritizing trade over the health of Canadians.

The government's spring economic update outlined plans to amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act to "include consideration of food security and cost of food."

A Department of Finance official said the government remains committed to safeguarding the environment and protecting the health and safety of Canadians.

"Further details will be provided as legislative changes are introduced, with timing still to be announced," said the official in an email.

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Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Agriculture

Farmer Bruce Bird walks past his seeding rig on his farm that has been in the family for over 100 years near Cremona, Alta., Friday, April 17, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

‘I live in Vegas’: Canadian ag producers take gamble with high fuel, fertilizer costs

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘I live in Vegas’: Canadian ag producers take gamble with high fuel, fertilizer costs

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026

CREMONA -  

A sharp jump in fuel and fertilizer prices has Canada's agriculture producers engaged in a pricey game of chance.

Prices for diesel and fertilizer have nearly doubled since the war involving the U.S, Iran and Israel, as the stalemate has choked vital oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

That's impacting commodities down the line, and a shortage of fertilizer could make this upcoming crop year a gamble for farmers.

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Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026

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