Montana-based cattle membership organization R-CALF has launched a multi-pronged attack to convince President Trump to reinstate mandatory country of origin labelling (MCOOL) in the upcoming renegotiation of NAFTA. On Agritalk on Thursday, R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard argued for MCOOL on the basis it supports President Trump's "America first" policy, food safety, and America's sovereignty, since... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Editor's note: The earlier version of this story said the federal government had approved a reduction in user fees for the 2017-18 crop year earlier this week, according to the commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. A senior CGC communications staff member has since informed us the commissioner "misspoke," and that the commission is still... Read More
Blood is thicker than water, and you should never mess with family. As I look back on the trilateral meeting between the agricultural leaders from Canada, the United States and Mexico, U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue has repeatedly emphasized the word 'family'. With spouses included, this triple date included local Savannah, Georgia hospitality and even... Read More
Canada's freight railways say they anticipate paying over a billion dollars per year by 2022 under carbon pricing policies proposed and planned by the federal and provincial governments. "It's difficult to get a precise figure, but we've tried to run some estimates based on the existing pricing structures and fiscal instruments, as well as the... Read More
The House of Commons agriculture committee held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak in southeast Manitoba. There have been at least 20 confirmed on-farm cases since May 2. To put that number in perspective, Manitoba previously only had 10 PEDv-positive barns dating back to 2014 when the... Read More
Before we start let me make this point very clear: This editorial is not an argument for or against supply management. It's a statement on Canada's negotiating position heading into the upcoming NAFTA talks. In any trade you try to maximize the return on an asset. In sports, this could be other players, draft picks... Read More
The Ontario Liberal government’s plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2019 is drawing fire from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA). In late May, the provincial government announced intentions to increase the minimum wage from the current $11.40 per hour rate. That’s a significant blow for an industry... Read More
This article was updated June 13 with comments and an interview with Johanne Ross, executive director of Ag in the Classroom Canada. The federal government is contributing more than half a million dollars to Agriculture in the Classroom Canada to bring lessons about the agriculture and the career opportunities in the sector into schools. Agriculture... Read More
The new president of the Canola Council of Canada says his goal is to follow through on the council's strategic plan, with priority shifting away from increasing acres to maximizing yields and value per acre for growers and the industry. Jim Everson's first official day in the Canola Council's office in Winnipeg was on May... Read More
It’s easier to scare people than reassure them. That’s how environmental activist Mark Lynas frames the debate around the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs have their supporters and their detractors, all fighting for or against the technology, and in the middle is a very confused and distrusting public. That’s the narrative director Scott... Read More