Consultations have been done, and the "What we heard" document was published in 2021. So why then has the actual opening of the Grain Act — and modernization of it — not happened? On Tuesday, March 26, industry participants, government, and farmers are getting together to talk about exactly that, says Ian Boxall, president of... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Geopolitics, interest rates, currency fluctuations, market demand and the weather — there's much for farmers to consider when making business decisions in a volatile market. Meteorologist and market analyst Shawn Hackett says it's important for farmers to have a good understanding of all the factors that can impact prices to build effective marketing strategy. At... Read More
A private member's bill that aims to allow for manufacturers in certain circumstances to circumvent digital locks on computer programs or hardware — such as a new million dollar-plus combine — has stalled in the Canadian Senate after receiving unanimous approval in the House of Commons last spring. Bill C-294, introduced by Saskatchewan MP Jeremy... Read More
The Saskatchewan government is planning to spend just over $1.5 billion on agriculture programs and resources in 2024-25 — a 5.6 per cent increase over last year's budget. The budget announced by Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer on Wednesday includes $571 million specifically for the Ministry of Agriculture. "Our investments in this year's... Read More
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made a surprise appearance at the Grain Farmers of Ontario March Classic meeting in London, Ont., this week. Emerging from behind a curtain, Ford took the stage to address a convention hall full of grain growers and wasted little time addressing the issue that led many conversations at the annual industry... Read More
Before the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, a.k.a New NAFTA, CUSMA, or USMCA, comes up for review in July of 2026, Canada, Mexico, and the United States will all have gone through a federal election. Two of the three countries could have the same leader in place as today; however, that's unlikely. It is also possible that... Read More
For the exportable commodities such as canola, pork, beef, seafood, and wheat, trade is a fundamental staple of creating value for products being produced by Canadian agriculture. Canada is an export-reliant nation with vast agricultural production and production potential, but only forty million people in population. According to CAFTA, Canada is the fifth largest exporter... Read More
Exports from Canada face growing uncertainty as governments around the world look inward in an effort to gain votes. Whether it's the collapse of the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement process, individual countries introducing new technical trade barriers, or politicians deploying subsidies and tariffs in the name of more domestic jobs, the world is generally... Read More
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the final rule for meat, poultry, and egg products that carry a "Product of the USA" label at the National Farmers Union's annual convention in Phoenix on Monday. As previously proposed, the label will be voluntary, but any company that uses it will have to maintain documentation to prove... Read More
Approval of a biotechnology reform bill in the European Parliament last month has been hailed as a major breakthrough toward allowing "new genomic techniques," such as gene-editing, to be used in crop breeding in Europe. The bill still faces an uphill battle to become law across the European Union, but the vote was one example... Read More