Kent Bacus, executive director, government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, hasn't had a dull moment in the last few weeks. He's not had much sleep either. That's not surprising, as any time there is a change in government leadership, his department is going to be busy. Add in a change from a Democrat... Read More
Category: Agriculture Policy
Saskatchewan farmer Todd Lewis is headed to the Senate of Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a trio of appointees to the Upper Chamber on Friday, including Lewis, who currently serves as the first vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). Lewis farms south of Regina near Gray, and is the former president of... Read More
The backlash and subsequent scaling back of environmental policies affecting European agriculture offers a lesson for governments and political parties around the world, says a policy analyst with a European consumer advocacy group. The European Union's Farm to Fork strategy was introduced about five years ago, and included steep restrictions on pesticide and fertilizer use,... Read More
Canola is just one of many on the list of products, services, and commodities bracing for the negative impacts of the U.S. tariff regime. With less than 30 days to negotiate ahead of the next tariff implementation deadline, the canola industry is working to get the message across to the U.S. about how canola from... Read More
Volatility is always part of agriculture, but the ups and downs of the industry have never been more apparent than what farmers have experienced in recent years. From the impacts of a global pandemic to historic rises and falls in income, farmers are used to the roller-coaster ride; and there's more uncertainty ahead as Trump... Read More
Even the most seasoned of policy analysts, trade negotiators, and industry leaders are feeling the pressure of the last six weeks. On-again, off-again tariffs threatened by the U.S. president are having direct and in-direct impacts on Canada's economy, with companies pro-actively trying to manage risk by downsizing, cancelling expansion plans, or shuttering all together. But... Read More
Members of the cattle industry from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. met Monday for a trilateral meeting while in San Antonio for the National Cattleman's Beef Association's annual CattleCon. Nathan Phinney, president of the Canadian Cattle Association, and Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president sat down with RealAgriculture's Lyndsey Smith on location following the meeting to... Read More
A 30-day pause on implementation of the Trump tariffs is good news for Canada's export-dependent commodities, but this is only a short reprieve to the pressure, not an end, says Michael Harvey, executive director of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance. What U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be pushing for is broader, more structural changes... Read More
While no formal complaint has been filed, dairy industry representatives in Australia, the United States, and New Zealand are sounding the alarm over Canada's dairy protein that they say is being "disposed of" on the world market. The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), and U.S. and Australian dairy industry representatives are calling for... Read More
Farms and ranches cannot operate without water. While having access to water seems like it should be quite straight forward, navigating government framework around access to water might not be. Team Alberta Crops and the Intensive Livestock Working Group in Alberta have been working to ensure that the provincial government had the opportunity to hear... Read More