A coalition of North American meat and livestock organizations is keeping its legal options open as it attempts to have U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) rules repealed. According to the industry, COOL is costing Canadian cattle and hog producers around a billion dollars per year. On Friday, a group that includes the Canadian Cattlemen’s... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
I've often heard travelling farmers suggest their peers ignore the customs declaration form that asks whether or not you've recently visited a farm or are returning to one. The fear, is, of course, that the customs staff might waste your time with needless questions, disinfecting of boots and so forth. I've never paid much heed... Read More
In a move that might be seen as a good ideological fit, Farmers of North America has launched a campaign asking its members whether they would be willing to invest in purchasing a majority interest in the former Canadian Wheat Board (now known as CWB.) The farmer alliance says a producer-owned grain handling company would... Read More
Following a report that says the World Trade Organization has sided with Canada and Mexico in the dispute over U.S. country of origin labelling rules, a coalition of American food and agriculture organizations is urging Congress and U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to immediately suspend COOL if the WTO rules against the U.S. Although the... Read More
If ever you've heard anyone say that new agriculture and food traits aren't regulated or tested, you'll want them to watch the following interview. A key aspect of this year's Momentum Tour, put on by Monsanto Canada, was the roll-out of two new crop traits — TruFlex canola and Xtend soybeans. Sharp-eyed readers will note... Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario have been rather busy — from moving in to a new, larger office space, to tackling big issues like announced increased regulation of neonicotinoid use in the province, to potentially bringing new commodity groups under the GFO banner, there's been no shortage to keep Henry Van Ankum, GFO chair, busy.... Read More
Do you know the most likely way your farmland loses nitrogen? (Now would be a great time to review all the ways N evades being used by the plant. Check out the image in this post). Why does this matter? For one, putting down fertilizer that's simply lost to the water or air is just... Read More
How did the bees do this spring planting season? Very well, says Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Likely attributed to several factors — a late planting season being one of them — Baute and her colleagues have kept a close eye on the Ontario bee... Read More
Environmental Defence and Freshwater Future Canada released a four-point action plan this week entitled Clean, Not Green: Tackling Algal Blooms in the Great Lakes. The plan comes in the wake of recent, serious algal blooms in the Great Lakes (specifically Lake Erie) and looks to improve agricultural practices, city planning, education and policy around maintaing... Read More
Cereals Canada, the newly-formed, industry-led cereals group, recently released its inaugural strategic planning document. The plan, available here as a PDF, sets out the vision and mission for the organization and defines a path forward for "sustainable profitability for the entire value chain." From opportunities and market development, to threats and competition, the 13-page document... Read More