By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Monday November 1, 2021

Nov 1, 2021 | 10:25 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — Nuffield Canada has selected six candidates from across the country to receive a $15,000 scholarship each to challenge themselves in a self-directed research program of international travel and study.

Recipients can come from any capacity of primary production, industry, or governance of agriculture and must do a minimum of 10 weeks of travel study within 24 months to examine and research an agriculturally relevant issue.

They then write a report on their research findings and make a presentation to the Nuffield Board.

CEO and co-founder of 9 Mile Legacy Brewing Co. Shawn Moen will study how jurisdictions use a business incubation model to create environments where diverse, stratified, and multi-channel agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can survive in start-up and thrive in growth. 9 Mile Legacy Brewing is a nanobrewery located in Saskatoon, Sask.

Ingrid Johnston, co-owner, and manager of Onward Ranch near 150 Mile House in B.C. will focus on how primary producers can direct market their farm products and ship to consumers without using a distribution company or middleman.

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Ken Coles is executive director of the agriculture innovation hub Farming Smarter, in Lethbridge, Alta. He hopes to change the way people farm by studying grassroots on-farm innovation organizations around the world.

Odette Menard, from Saint-Simon de Bagot, Que. works in soil and water conservation for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries of Québec. Menard is an expert in earthworm behaviour and soil improvement under no-till conditions. Her study topic is to recognize and understand the behavioral changes required to adopt soil health practices for the long term.

Lauren Park is a beekeeper with two farms in Forest Hill, N.S. She specializes in queen bee rearing along with fruit pollination and honey production. She will study queen health, and the queen bee’s impact on sustainability in the beekeeping industry.

PEI Potato Board Marketing Specialist Mark Phillips has a goal to learn more about issues producers face with respect to developing public trust and how to work with the public to foster an understanding of agricultural practices.

Nuffield Canada is part of a larger international community, that has affiliate organizations in Australia, Brazil, Chiles, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Zimbabwe.

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Farmers in the United States are expressing concerns about shortages and high prices due to tariffs on fertilizers.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) joined four other agricultural groups encouraging the U.S. Court of International Trade to overturn an earlier decision by the International Trade Commission (ITC) which imposed tariffs on imported phosphate fertilizers from Morocco.

Iowa farmer and NCGA president Chris Edgington said producers are feeling the pain from the tariffs.

“We are worried about fertilizer shortages next year. We desperately need the U.S. Court of International Trade to remedy this situation,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Commerce recommended in February 2021 that the ITC implement tariffs over 19 per cent on imported fertilizers from Morocco after the Mosaic Company filed a petition with the department seeking the levies. The ITC voted in March to impose the tariffs while adding similar levies on Russian imports.

As a result, critical sources of imported supply have been shut out of the U.S. market and the costs for fertilizers have increased for farmers.

“Farmers pay the price when input companies monopolize a market,” Edgington said. “To get our job done and keep prices reasonable, we need quick access to fertilizers from multiple companies, including those outside the U.S.”

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW