The number of commodity groups in Manitoba that are exploring the possibility of amalgamating has dropped from five to four. Following a meeting in late July, the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC) and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Association (MWBGA) have decided to continue... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Glyphosate, the generic chemical name for Monsanto's RoundUp, is taking fire from all angles, it seems, after courts in two different countries recently delivered significant blows to the herbicide's reputation. Last week, a judge in Brazil ordered a halt on all approvals of any products containing glyphosate, plus a suspension of existing registration within in... Read More
A U.S. lobby group that is closely aligned with the Trump administration on trade policy is trying to bring mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) back into the spotlight through the NAFTA negotiations. The Coalition for a Prosperous America, whose board includes R-CALF USA director Bill Bullard, sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on... Read More
Several provincial and national farm groups say they are disappointed with the Canadian Grain Commission's plan for dealing with its $130 million surplus, and that it underscores the need to update the federal agency's mandate. The surplus has accumulated through user fees charged for grain inspection and other services — costs that were ultimately passed... Read More
Canadian wheat and barley exports have been caught in the escalating diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government issued a notice on Tuesday to stop all purchases of wheat and barley from Canada. While the Saudi market isn't a major export destination, the impact will likely be felt in the barley market... Read More
Grain Growers of Canada welcomed four new members at the group's annual summer meeting in Guelph, Ont. last week. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Producteurs de grains du Québec joined the national crop producer policy organization. "From our perspective, GFO needed a strong voice in Ottawa that represented farmers," noted GFO... Read More
The federal environment minister made a rare and unpublicized visit to a grain farm in Manitoba on Thursday. Minister Catherine McKenna dropped in at Curtis McRae's farm north of Winnipeg near St. Andrews on her way back from a funding announcement for Lake Winnipeg in Gimli. A film crew arrived about an hour before the... Read More
Although the European Union is currently experiencing significant political shifts within its body of countries, it is still one of the world's leading economic blocks and is very attractive to exporters from around the world. Its history of protectionism, with tariffs and import quotas on agricultural products, is well documented. This makes trade with the... Read More
The three NAFTA partners are reportedly making progress on a deal around auto-content rules, meaning we could see a change in focus to the remaining issues, which includes Canadian market access for U.S. dairy products. There's plenty of speculation about what the ultimate compromise required to get a deal done will be, but we can... Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission has announced its first expenditure to draw down its $100-plus million user fee surplus that it collected from farmers from 2013 to 2017. The CGC says it will invest $4 million over the next five years in enhancing its Harvest Sample Program. Producers who submit wheat samples to the program starting... Read More