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Possible Trump tariffs remain big question mark for southwestern Ontario farmers

Canadian economics have been in the headlines a lot lately as it relates to the United States, possible tariffs and president-elect Donald Trump.

Much of the talk has been about manufacturing — auto specifically — especially here in southwestern Ontario.

But did you know that roughly 50 per cent of what we expert as a country is the food eat related to agriculture and farming in Canada?

resden, Ont., farmer and agricultural economist Philip Shaw says the possible tariffs remain the biggest question mark for southwestern Ontario farmers in 2025.

He talked with CBC Radio's Windsor Morning producer Peter Duck about his expectations for the new year — and a quick reflection on how things were in 2024. Here's a portion of that conversation.

How was the year as a whole for agriculture … looking back at 2024, especially here in southwestern Ontario?

Generally, we think about how good the crop was this past year and we did have a pretty good crop. 

I know some of the crops in Essex this past year were better than they were in 2023. Generally speaking, what you found with grain prices in 2024 going into 2025 was that we got down to the lowest levels we've seen since just before the pandemic and the last Trump presidency. 

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WEBINAR: Protecting Sm1: New Research on Wheat Midge Resistance with Dr. Tyler Wist

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Watch Dr. Tyler Wist, Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon as he shared insights into his funded wheat research project under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership. This funded research targets wheat midge and its parasitoids across the western Canadian Prairies. Funding from a previous CAP resulted in the discovery of a mechanism behind oviposition deterrence (preventing insects from laying eggs) in several wheat varieties. Through ongoing surveying, Dr. Wist and his team are determining what factors impact where wheat midge lay eggs and what varieties have better genetic response to wheat midge pressure. Dr. Wist shared how his research will dig into continued breeding initiatives, and what additional control methods are being produced beyond the Sm1 gene.

•Funding Partners:

•Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership

•Government of Canada

•Alberta Grains

•Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance

•Manitoba Crop Alliance

•Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

•Western Grains Research Foundation