Farming has become a year-round state of mind. Seasonality is not as much of a management consideration as it once was, especially for crop producers. Planting season and harvest season still exist, but due to increased demands – including the need to constantly be working on public image — the farming season has become a... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz was on hand at the Canterra Seeds warehouse in Winnipeg, Man., to announce the tabling of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The Act addresses a total of nine areas where Canada's regulations need "modernizing, amending and streamlining of processes". While there isn't a monetary figure attached to... Read More
All of us have bad days at work, good days at work and then there are awesome days at work. Today it is clear that Dave Hansen had a great day at work. Not only did Gerry Ritz hold his Agricultural Growth Act press conference at the Canterra Seeds office but the inclusion of UPOV91... Read More
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was in Winnipeg, Man., today to announce the tabling of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The act covers a host of agriculture-related regulations — a total of nine — with an eye to "amending, streamlining and modernizing" Canada's regulations as they relate to several areas of agriculture. From plant breeding... Read More
I had the great pleasure of joining the Manitoba Canola Growers Association for its second Canola Leaders event held November 29 and 30, 2013, at Brandon, Manitoba. About 20 young farmers participated in two days of fun, networking and learning, with a heavy emphasis on the importance of food, understanding consumers, learning leadership skills and... Read More
Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency released a notice of intent in September 2013 to change label requirements of neonictoinoid seed treatment products used on corn and soybean seed after it was determined that "...current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable." The notice of intent... Read More
Public breeding (for plants, that is) is not something you’d imagine the public yelling into a telephone about, telling their elected officials support for public plant breeding must absolutely be part of the next federal or provincial budget, or else. But stranger things have happened. For example, who would have thought people would get so... Read More
For a year there has been a very interesting project in development called the Beef Straw Man which is trying to facilitate a Canadian beef industry strategy. The three straw men gathered 200 people into the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary on Tuesday to get more input, seek feedback and prepare for a final... Read More
At the Canfax Market Forum I was able to catch up with the Canadian Cattlemen Association President Martin Unrau to get an update on the recent activities of the CCA in the last year. Obviously mandatory country of origin labeling MCOOL and CETA have captured much of the time. If you cannot see the above... Read More
This morning at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting in Toronto, the Premier and Provincial Ag Minister, Kathleen Wynne, talked to the delegates about the state of agriculture in the province. Wynne talked about job growth, the opportunity for young people and more. When the meeting was handed off to the question and... Read More