Sidebar 2: How ASRA is calculated Sunday, April 5, 2009 "Quebec's income stabilisation program is a combination of AgriStability and ASRA," says Alain Pouliot, vice-president in charge of the ASRA program at La Financière Agricole du Québec. "The AgriStability program covers two thirds of losses and is funded by both levels of government. The ASRA program is the last program to intervene and it is funded one third by producers and two thirds by the Quebec government." ASRA numbers are based on cost of production (COP) reports which are tabulated by an independent firm. The insurable portion of the COP corresponds to approximately 80 to 90 per cent of a producer's total COP and doesn't factor in ASRA, crop insurance premiums or the return on equity. "The COP for the piglets' program, for instance, is calculated by averaging the production costs of operations ranging from 150 to 600 sows every four to five years, but each expense is adjusted yearly to reflect the market situation," explains Pouliot There were 3,9171 registered hog farmers in Quebec in 2007, but only 1,400 hog farms were registered under the market hog and piglets insurance programs in 2008. Part of the discrepancy can be attributed to contract hog producers, but most of the difference is due to multiple hog farmers (i.e. family members) owning shares in the same hog farm. Approximately 50 per cent of the 7,700 000 hogs for which compensation was paid were owned by belong to independent producers. Genetics: The computer revolution in progeny testing Sidebar 1: Quebec agriculture - a history of intervention
Protein Industries Canada Invests in AI for Agriculture Thursday, September 3, 2026 Protein Industries Canada is investing $4.9 million in two artificial intelligence (AI) projects designed to help Canadian farmers and the broader value-added agriculture sector improve productivity, safety, and decision-making. The investment includes up to $2.2 million from Protein... Read this article online
CN and CPKC report record grain movement in August Thursday, September 3, 2026 Both major railways serving Canadian farmers reported record grain movement for the month of August. Last month, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) moved 2.54 million metric tonnes of grain and related products, and 26,051 carloads. These figures include the first four weeks of the... Read this article online
Ottawa starting to roll out tariff supports Thursday, September 3, 2026 Parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba’s ag sectors are among the early recipients of tariff support from the federal government. On Sept. 3, Eleanor Olszewski, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced almost $16 million in funding for 15... Read this article online
Quinoa - How an Ancient Grain Became a Prairie Crop Opportunity Thursday, September 3, 2026 What began as an experimental crop on Canadian farms has become a small but increasingly recognized part of the country's specialty crop sector. Quinoa, often celebrated for its high protein content, gluten-free status, and versatility in food products, has been grown commercially in... Read this article online
Manitoba providing tariff support for farmers Wednesday, September 2, 2026 The Manitoba government is taking steps to assist farmers and other businesses affected by the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S. On Aug. 28 the provincial government announced more than $100 million in tariff supports. From an ag perspective, most of the supports come from... Read this article online