Today, at the Canada-EU Summit in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, signed a formal declaration marking the end of negotiations for the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The final text of the deal — more than 1,600 pages long — was also made public... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario, has rolled out mandate letters to each of the provincial departments. Of particular note on the agriculture file headed up by Jeff Leal, Wynne's set priorities for the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, under the heading "Ensuring Sustainability of Agriculture," states: Strengthening pollinator health. You will work... Read More
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today completed a trade mission to China and India to open new markets for Canadian farmers and agriculture industries. Of particular note, Minister Ritz met with China’s Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu to work to secure permanent access for Canadian live cattle valued by industry at $150 million annually once fully... Read More
Almost a decade after negotiations began, the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement was signed today in Ottawa by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Korean President Park Geun-hye. The deal is expected to help Canadian agricultural exports compete against American exports, as sales of Canadian beef, pork and other commodities have declined since South Korea ratified a... Read More
While new bilateral trade agreements present many opportunities, international trade is also becoming much more complicated for agriculture companies in the export business, say the authors of a report published by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (read the paper here.) With bilateral deals with the European Union, Japan and South Korea in the works, keeping... Read More
From afar – and maybe even up close -- it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on in environmental hot spots, such as Alberta’s oilsands, despite oil company ads that tell everything is coming up roses. But agriculture needs to pay more attention to oilsands. Here's why. It’s hard to separate agriculture and the environment,... Read More
We bring you "This Week on Real Ag" for September 18th, as Kelvin Heppner recaps some of the bigger ag stories from the past seven days. This week's podcast includes updates on harvest, railway and government relations, grain markets and COOL, as well as some dialogue about A&W's new egg marketing campaign. Oh and of... Read More
If you’re one of the farmers who submitted an application for Growing Forward 2 funding and were turned down, you’re not alone. Whenever a new or changed funding model rolls out, there’s always a learning curve. But does a first rejection mean you should abandon the application? Not necessarily. As Margaret May, regional program lead... Read More
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) has filed a lawsuit against the Government of Canada, appealing changes to rail regulations brought forward in Bill C-30 — The Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act. CP Rail names the Canadian Transportation Agency and the Attorney General of Canada in the suit, which was filed with the Federal Court... Read More
The Canadian Canola Growers Association is investing $5 million in agriculture policy research at the University of Saskatchewan. The grower organization has announced a one-time contribution to establish the CCGA Agriculture Policy Chair in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. “Agriculture policy development is a cornerstone of the work we do at CCGA; we believe... Read More