There's a saying about beggars and choosers, but to call Canada's durum customers beggars would be unfair. That said, Italy's insistence of Country of Origin Labeling of durum that has edged Canada out of its market may ease — all in the name of quality. Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, says it's an interesting... Read More
Category: Agriculture Policy
Speakers from all over the country and the world are brought to FarmTech, and for one of this year's keynote speakers, they didn't have to go far to find someone great to talk about politics. Tasha Kheiriddin, a Global News Radio host and political pundit from Toronto, Ont., says she was quite impressed with what... Read More
In case you missed it, there are new rules and regulations regarding Class 1 driver training and licensing coming to Alberta March 1, 2019. The new rules — which significantly increase the number of training hours required to attain a Class 1 — were consulted on for one week last July. News to you? You're... Read More
Ontario's government has announced a proposal to streamline and modernize the Farm Business Registration Program by moving the program to electronic delivery and a simplified registration process. The proposal to reduce red tape for farmers is part of the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, the second in a series of bills targeted at getting government "out... Read More
The federal government is spending nearly $280,000 to fund the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) to lead the International Phase of the Quality AgriWorkforce Management Program. This project, funded through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, is designed to clarify best practices for recruiting and retaining international workers. CAHRC's activities will involve developing and delivering... Read More
If you ask consumers, our food system is bad and getting worse. But if you look back and compare to say the 1980s, we're actually doing a much better job on many things, such as water and fertiizer efficiency, pesticide use, and more. It's all a matter of perspective – things are getting better, but... Read More
By Jeff English Canada’s Food Guide was updated this week and, not unlike anything done by government, it was met with a mixed reaction. The changes were not so big. We’ve gone from four food groups down to three. Given the year they’ve had on the trade front, it is easy to forgive our dairy... Read More
An independent financial advisor who keeps a particularly close eye on big banks and agriculture is urging farmers to consider delaying plans to borrow money, with so much uncertainty in world trade and bank rates destined to inch up. Rob Hall, of Bankspeak Inc., an Ontario-based consultancy that helps farmers and other businesses negotiate with... Read More
The flax industry has had some tough years. Still recovering acres from the Triffid issue from a few years ago, this past year's drought in the southern half of the Prairies also limited production. SaskFlax, however, has continued to move forward and plan for success. After the annual general meeting at CropSphere recently, Wayne Thompson,... Read More
Statistics Canada, it would appear, knows you don't really want to talk to them. The government agency is sharing news of its AG-Zero project — an initiative that seeks to move phone and other surveys from first to somewhere else down the list of information gathering. "We're working to produce comprehensive, relevant, and integrated farm... Read More