After four years of dialogue, the members of Cereals Canada and the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) have approved the merger of their organizations into a single structure. The new organization will operate under the Cereals Canada banner, with a division continuing to carry the Cigi brand, which is well-known among international customers of Canadian... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is calling on both the federal and Manitoba governments to adopt a "whole-of-government" approach to food security, which includes immediately adopting a strategic approach to emergency preparedness for the Canadian food supply chain. This request is in response to supply-chain disruptions due to COVID-19. It is crucial that Canadians can... Read More
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is recommending the immediate reinstatement of a set-aside program that was implemented during the BSE era to address the challenges with beef processing capacity being created by COVID-19. The CCA says it's in discussions with the federal government about implementing the program to encourage producers to hold cattle longer when... Read More
There is plenty of concern across the agriculture sector during this time of crisis, especially when it comes to labour shortages. In order to keep the supply chain open, we need access to workers that are trained to do the job. Plenty of packing plants are facing weeks' worth of closures, while some are facing... Read More
The decision to close a processing plant as it relates to COVID-19 infection of staff is a complicated one. Food processing plants have strict protocols and clear guidance on food safety issues, but the advent of a human disease pandemic is a new territory for all — processors included. Ultimately, the decision to close a... Read More
As of April 13, the Government of Canada is allocating $50 million to help farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers with support for temporary foreign workers. Even before COVID-19 was an issue, the agriculture and food sectors already faced significant labour shortages. The advent of COVID-19 has delayed many temporary foreign... Read More
Changes to the Canada Summer Jobs Program as a result of COVID-19 could mean real help for the agriculture sector. Because of social distancing and the closure of non-essential services, several companies will not be hiring students and youth to fill summer jobs. The federal government is in the process of re-allocating those funds into... Read More
For those of us that work from home regularly, good broadband connectivity is essential. But in rural areas of Canada, effective broadband — capable of handling video calls, online classes, and more — is largely unavailable or exceeding expensive. During this global pandemic, thousands of farm and rural residents are sharing the reality of trying... Read More
Agriculture is full of traditions and customs that are passed on from generation to generation on the farm. At the same time, the industry is changing immensely in front of our own eyes creating a very uncertain future. Even pre-COVID-19, agriculture had some real soul-searching to do to meet the challenges ahead in the agri-food... Read More
I've seen over the last few days a lot of stories, comments, and mixed messages about farmers having to dump milk. I thought I'd clear a few things up with my perspective, direct from the farm. We were included in the farmers asked to dump milk. We dumped a little over 4,000 litres of raw,... Read More