Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and member of parliament Scott Armstrong were in Truro, Nova Scotia, today to announce an investment of $8 million for the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) to lead an organic science cluster aimed at helping "the sector respond to market demand and capture new opportunities," according to a press release. Two... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
I’ve got to give her credit — Trish Sahlstrom, a vice-president of A&W, recently walked into a room of beef farmers in Saskatchewan to talk up her company's ‘Better Beef’ campaign on beef produced without hormones. It’s a good niche to sell beef, but as I’ve said before, framing it as ‘Better Beef’ is where... Read More
The Russian government announced a ban on food imports from Canada, the United States, the European Union, Australia and Norway this week. The declaration follows increasing sanctions imposed on Russia by these countries. “In the wake of continued aggression by Russia, which includes the ongoing supply of logistical support and weapons systems to agents of... Read More
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Transport Minister Lisa Raitt announced details of Bill C-30, the "Fair Rail for Grain Farmers" Act today, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The measures, announced on this first day of the new crop year, include some which are hoped to improve the accountability for grain companies in contracts with an aim to... Read More
Earlier this week, the Canadian Grain Commission informed its licensees and producer groups that it had ended negotiations with Atradius Credit Insurance NV to develop a Master Insurance Policy Agreement. A letter sent to licensees, dated July 29, 2014, says, "The CGC has determined that the proposal for an insurance based producer payment protection model... Read More
The federal government can do something to help Ontario's $900-million mushroom sector — that is, extend or change the temporary foreign worker program. Such a change might help other agri-food sectors too and give new skilled Canadians a productive place in our society. The agri-food sector's struggle with labour is widely known. Canadians like to... Read More
Bees, pollinators and honey-makers alike, are enjoying some much deserved attention right now. There was a time not too long ago when many consumers had no inkling of the importance of pollinators in our food supply. Unfortunately, much of the added attention stems from recent bee deaths, the mysterious colony collapse disorder (CCD) and controversy... Read More
The World Trade Organization's (WTO) compliance panel has issued a preliminary ruling on the complaint sent forward by Canada and Mexico on the United States' Country of Origin Labelling rules. The ruling, sent to all three countries, remains confidential. "In the past, these confidential rulings have been leaked, so they're usually pretty poorly kept secrets,... Read More
Ontario's agriculture minister recently announced a move to increased rules and regulation regarding use of neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybeans. As noted, there are no new set regulations on the product's use at this time, however the government is set to begin a consultation process ahead of rolling out changes to the insecticide's... Read More
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced a Stay of Default for the 2013-14 Advance Payments Program (APP) affecting grain farmers in Western Canada. The Stay extends the current repayment deadline of September 30, 2014 to March 31, 2015 for cash advances issued by the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “Many farmers have faced challenges selling... Read More