There's no long-term trend talk of any agriculture commodity sector, it seems, that doesn't include at least some reference to China. After all, it's not just a populous country, it's a huge economic driver and consumer of Canadian agriculture products. Imagine, then, what it would mean to have the Chinese market closed, a market worth... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Tuesday is the big day...finally... The entire world is going to take a giant breath of relief that the U.S. election is coming to a close. The storyline is well documented, circus-like in nature — a real life made-for-TV event like no other in our popular culture and political history. For Canadians involved in agriculture,... Read More
Ontario's government, in conjunction with the federal government, has announced updates to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP). The updated OWDCP will clearly define the requirements farmers need to meet to receive compensation for losses of livestock, poultry, and bees/hives. The OWDCP is part of the GrowingForward 2 program. Changes are said to be... Read More
Two weeks after meeting with farm and grain industry groups in Saskatoon, federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau shared his government's vision for the future of transportation in Canada in a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. After describing the environmental, safety and consumer-related aspects of the Liberals' "Transportation 2030" plan, Garneau said... Read More
Dairy milking robots have found their niche in Canada, but where do they fit on U.S. dairy farms? The popularity of robots in Canada can be linked to the fact that the technology fits well into this country’s smaller farms and because our supply management system provides a financial footing for farmers to invest. But... Read More
Soil preservation is gaining seatbelt and sugarless gum status in our society. It’s simply no longer optional. Some soil advocates are now calling for every agricultural grant application to have a tick box explaining how the proposed project exercises best soil management practices. No doubt, pressure is mounting to acknowledge the unparalleled role those first... Read More
A photo surfaced yesterday showing former federal trade minister Ed Fast and current federal minister of international trade Chrystia Freeland sharing a full-on hug in the House of Commons at Ottawa. Wait a minute...how can this be? Fast is a Conservative with the former ruling government. Freeland is with the still-shiny-new current Liberal government. Aren't... Read More
Just over a week after Canada's Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland stormed out of trade talks uttering words like "impossible" and "incapable," there she was with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday signing off on a final version of the massive agreement. The treaty now heads back to the governments of the 28 EU member states... Read More
Mario Tenuta has been studying greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture for longer than he's willing to admit. Never before has he seen this much interest in the topic. "We've always had interest in carbon sequestration and the use of nitrogen fertilizers and manures, but now where we are called to some form of action and... Read More
Canadian farm groups are welcoming the signing of the Canada-European Union trade deal on the weekend. Seven years after negotiations began, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Donald Tusk, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at a ceremony in Brussels on Sunday. "Seeing Canada's largest... Read More