The federal government is proposing the elimination of deferred cash purchase tickets for grain sales — a tool used by farmers to manage cash flow for tax purposes from one year to the next. When delivering a listed grain (such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed, or canola), producers have long had the option of... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
India has granted a last-minute temporary exemption allowing Canadian pulse exports to continue without being fumigated in Canada. "This new exemption means that Canadian pulse exports leaving Canada on or before June 30, 2017, will not require fumigation in Canada," said a statement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne early... Read More
The House of Commons Agriculture Committee sent a letter to the federal Health Minister last week outlining concerns about Health Canada's proposed ban of imidacloprid, one of the three main neonicotinoid seed treatments used by farmers. The extended comment period on the proposal to phase out imidacloprid use over the next three years concluded on... Read More
The federal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, revealed its latest budget, and agriculture and agri-food figures prominently in the 2017-18 fiscal plan. From new export targets and spending programs designed to "uncap the potential of the agriculture industry," this budget commits $8.2 billion under the Skills and Innovation Plan with a goal of... Read More
Brad Wall's Saskatchewan government rolled out its 2017-18 cost-cutting budget yesterday, and there's something for everyone to pick on. Affecting all sectors, Wall is increasing the provincial sales tax (PST) from five to six per cent, and has re-written what goods and services are no longer PST-exempt. Specific for farmers, beginning April 1, 2017, fuel... Read More
Will Canadians see a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement any time soon? Don't bet on it, says political commentator David Frum. Earlier this week, the editor of The Atlantic and former speech writer for George W. Bush, shared his thoughts on the Donald Trump presidency and possible NAFTA renegotiation at the Grain Farmers of... Read More
With government funding programs comes last minute changes and updates, but never fear, RealAgriculture and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association regional program lead, Margaret May, have joined forces to bring you the latest updates to GF2 programming (That's Growing Forward 2, for all of you who have been hiding under a rock). Of particular... Read More
There's a reluctance among the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signatories to walk away from all the progress made with the deal, even though the United States has withdrawn its involvement with the deal. And while Claire Citeau, with the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, is disappointed with the TPP deal proper being hamstrung, she says last week's... Read More
Recently, the federal government released "emergency" rules regarding recreational use of drones (UAVs), significantly restricting where and when drones could be used. Citing a 200% increase in commercial flight incidents with drones in just two years, the transport minister says the new rules begin immediately, with fines of up to $3,000 for violations. Commercial drone... Read More
The Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) has a long track record of providing leadership for the seed industry – from setting national standards for seed purity, to managing the seed certification process, and advocating for its seed-growing members. But the seed industry’s regulatory and certification programs are about to undergo some changes. Two years ago... Read More