Throughout the NAFTA talks there were many things that Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. did not agree on. One of the sectors that was fortunate to have the major check-off organizations on the same page was the beef sector. This cooperation was in place even before the NAFTA talks on issues such as country of... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
It appears the Government of Alberta has listened to Team Alberta's concerns over the timing of the Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) for new Class 1 drivers announced last month. Transportation Minister Brian Mason has announced agricultural workers may apply for a one-year exemption from the training, recognizing the quick turn-around to implement MELT would... Read More
Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has earmarked $41.8 million to build a new state-of-the-art, high-throughput fertilizer terminal near Grassy Lake, Alta. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of this year, with the terminal expected to be fully operational for the summer of 2020. The southern Alberta branch will have a storage capacity of 34,400... Read More
As we approach the ending of another winter, Mother Nature is not being kind. As some Ontario and Quebec farmers learned last week, wind-whipped snow loads can quickly become too much for even brand new construction. Reports of at least one dairy barn, a hog barn, and a drive shed collapsing in the last week... Read More
This past week the Beef Farmers of Ontario held their annual general meeting near the Toronto airport to take care of some business and discuss the year ahead. The meat sector has seen strong demand for product due to positive economic factors, but 2019 could be different. Additionally, producers are facing increasing costs due to... Read More
The integration between Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley has been extremely successful, says Tom Steve, executive director with the now one-year-old Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission. "We've realized cost savings of about $350,000 a year," Steve says. "A lot is related to salaries for sure, but we have a stronger management team now that's focussed... Read More
The Government of Canada has published revisions to the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR). The regulations come into force one year from publication, on February 1, 2020. While the advent of revamped regulations is not unexpected — there has been a significant amount of consultation on the proposed changes — the timing of the final... Read More
Ontario beef producers looking to use the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program will notice some changes the next time they apply. Changes announced include: Reduced need for credit checks within the program Steps to streamline the transfer of ownership of livestock once a loan is paid off The Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program supports feeder... Read More
The news Three existing livestock codes of practice will receive updates and one new code of practice will be created with an announced $4.56 million granted to the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC), on behalf of the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). NFACC is a collaborative partnership of stakeholders created to share information and... Read More
They're the generation we love to hate: Millennials. Often called entitled and lazy (largely by Baby Boomers who can't open a PDF), Millennials are the next huge generation both in numbers and influence. And because of that sway and market power, David Coletto, of Abacus Data, warns that any industry that ignores their preferences, interests,... Read More