As NAFTA negotiations begin on Wednesday, there's no question dairy is one of the few agricultural issues where there's a serious conflict between Canadian and American objectives. On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland released Canada's list of demands, with protection of supply management for dairy and poultry on the list. Freeland made it clear... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Canada’s heading into the NAFTA renegotiation next week, but a deal that hasn’t been discussed a lot lately is the Trans-Pacific Partnership — and why is that? The U.S. pulled out of TPP and left eleven remaining countries. Canada has participated in all of the meetings post-U.S. pulling out. The Canadian govenrment has provided a... Read More
It's been over 20 years since most of today's rules on government agriculture support aimed at reducing trade distorting programs were agreed to in the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Agriculture. Over time, countries have adapted and found ways to circumvent limits and continue providing support to domestic... Read More
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is extending the temporary reduction of the levy it collects on pulses and soybeans grown in the province for another year, as it draws down its surplus accumulated with record pulse acres and strong prices in recent years. SPG reduced its non-refundable checkoff from 1 to 0.67% of gross sales on August... Read More
With the two week countdown on ahead of NAFTA negotiations, the Canadian government is bolstering its team in Washington and establishing a council to provide advice to Canadian negotiators. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Wednesday that she's sending Canada's chief negotiator in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations to Washington as a deputy ambassador. Kirsten Hillman,... Read More
Farmers across Western Canada celebrated on Tuesday as it was the fifth anniversary of farmers gaining marketing freedom for wheat and barley, formerly known as 'board grains'. On August 1, 2012 farmers were given control of marketing their own farm production. Wheat and barley no longer had to be sold through the Canadian Wheat Board's... Read More
Canada's dairy processors and producers say the federal government has "failed to adequately support its dairy sector" after announcing plans for the allocation of cheese import licenses through the Canada-European Union trade deal (CETA). Canada agreed to tariff rate quotas for nearly 18 million kilograms of annual cheese imports in CETA under two categories: 16... Read More
The end of the Canadian Wheat Board as a single desk marketer of Canadian wheat and barley five years ago triggered a number of major changes in Canada's cereal crop industry. Most of the dust stirred up by dismantling the CWB has settled, but there's potential for more change. Recognizing gaps left by the end... Read More
Starting August 1, 2017, Japan has triggered a safeguard to increase the tariff on its frozen beef imports from countries that it does not have a free trade agreement with. Increasing the tariff on frozen beef imports from 38.5% to 50% will impact Canada and the United States and not Australia, Chile and Mexico who... Read More
Lower cattle prices due to big supplies, a Canadian dollar up over 80 cents U.S., and drought causing higher feed costs — Canadian cattle feeders are hunkering down as we turn the calendar into August. "If I'm a producer at the other end of the spectrum, as far as a cow-calf producer or grass operator,... Read More