Farm mood slumps

 

 

Farmer sentiment declined in September because farmers are worried about input costs, especially diesel fuel needed for harvest, reports the Purdue University-CME Group.

Its Ag Economy Barometer fell from 135 in August to 123 in September.

A record 52 per cent of producers cited higher input costs as their biggest concern, while 54 per cent said high input costs were the main thing limiting improvement in their farm's financial situation.

 

That pressure is also showing up in expectations for farm finances and investment. The Farm Financial Performance Index fell to 90, and the Farm Capital Investment Index dropped to 39.

Yet the Long-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index reached a new high of 168. 

The September barometer survey was conducted among 400 farmers across the country from September 14 to 18.

New farm trade boss named

United States President Donald Trump has nominated Greg Ibach to serve as the next Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the United States Department of Agriculture.

He takes over from Luke Lindberg who left to be executive director of the United Nations World Food Program.

Ibach has been the agriculture department’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs and also served as Nebraska’s director of Agriculture. His background includes direct experience in production agriculture and agricultural policy.

Nutrien shutters plant in Trinidad

 

Nutrien is shutting down its nitrogen plant in Trinidad, citing a lack of reliable supply of natural gas and port constraints.

Nutrien said the shutdown ​will not affect its 2026 ⁠nitrogen sales outlook and said it will have enough to meet customer demand in North America.

The company produced about 85,000 ​metric tons of ammonia and 55,000 metric tons of urea per month at its Trinidad ​operations.

Nutrien is the world’s largest potash producer and is based in Saskatchewan.

No dairy challengers

Nobody challenged four directors of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario by the time nominations recently closed.

Acclaimed were board chairman Mark Hambel, John Wynands and and Albert Fledderus.

Their new four-year terms will begin in January.

Inflation far from tamed

Inflation in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) averaged 4.3 per cent in August.

That was an increase from 4.1 per cent in July.

Twenty-three countries had increases, 12 held steady and three had lower inflation than a year ago.

Year-on-year energy inflation averaged 13.6 per cent in August while food inflation declined to 2.8 per cent from 3.2 per cent in July.

The OECD said Canada’s inflation rate was three per cent in August.

Funds available for food safety

 

 

The federal and provincial agriculture departments are offering $2 million to small businesses to improve their food safety programs.

The money is for small agri-food businesses that produce, process or service specific products such as bagged salads, cheese and ice cream, and have fewer than 100 employees at the project location. 

Funding can be up to $75,000 per project and used for investments in food safety equipment and technology, food traceability systems and process improvements.

The program began in 2024 and has provided funding for 90 projects.

Animal Justice fights trespass law

Animal Justice is continuing its fight against Ontario’s 2020 law that aims to prevent animal rights activists from trespassing on farms.

It has appealed to the Supreme Court to review the Ontario court decision that upheld the law.

“If granted, we’ll be taking our fight to our nation’s highest court to argue that Ontario’s dangerous agricultural gag law is unconstitutional,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, lawyer and Animal Justice’s director of legal advocacy.

“We are fighting with everything we have for the chance to strike down Ontario’s ag gag law once and for all.”.

“We are fighting with everything we have for the chance to strike down Ontario’s ag gag law once and for all,” she said.

Farmers support the law which they hope will end under-cover video taping inside livestock and poultry barns.