Governments across the world are crafting policy to influence industry practices with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadian government is doing the same through programs such as the On-Farm Climate Action Fund and others. But how effective have these programs been and how do farmers see them influencing what practices they engage... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Country of origin labelling of beef in the U.S. seems to be an issue that never goes away entirely, even with settled trade disputes. The most recent move towards some form of COOL is gaining momentum in the U.S., though agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack has said any labelling must be trade compliant. Dennis Laycraft, executive... Read More
Canada's beef cattle industry has made significant, continual improvements on the amount of methane emitted by cattle over the last 30 years. A combination of genetic selection and feeding advancements plus sound scientific research means that Canadian ranchers and feedlot operators have a good story to tell about cattle production. Dr. Tim McAllister, research scientist... Read More
A majority of senators voted in favour of a twice-amended version of Bill C-234 at third reading on Tuesday night, sending the hollowed-out bill back to the House of Commons. MPs in the Commons previously approved the private member's bill, which would have removed the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on... Read More
It's time for another podcast featuring Wisemeyer and Haney covering all the big agricultural topics impacting farmers and ranchers in Canada and the United States! This week Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture and Jim Wiesemeyer, D.C. policy analyst with Pro Farmer, jump into some issues that really connect and are creating angst in the countryside of... Read More
Environment and Climate Change Canada has published its draft protocol for Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle (REME protocol). This is the fourth draft protocol under Canada's Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System, following those for refrigeration, landfill methane (completed), and forestry (in draft). The REME protocol is intended to "incentivize farmers to implement changes... Read More
The agricultural industry is immensely frustrated with the challenges Bill C-234 has faced in the senate, and for good reason. As I have watched the shenanigans in the senate the past month, I have been searching for a word that describes the vibe of the situation as the supposed "independent" senators have allegedly taken marching... Read More
If getting a bill through Parliament can be compared to a car race, you could say Bill C-234 was on the final lap in the Senate and within sight of the checkered flag before getting sideswiped by an amendment that leaves it with missing parts, nowhere close to the finish line, and without a clear... Read More
Grain farming in Ontario has a significant and growing economic impact in the province and across the country. That's the conclusion of a recent study from business accounting firm MNP prepared for the Grain Farmers of Ontario. The study, titled: Economic Impact Analysis of Grain Farming in Ontario, found that the industry created $27 billion... Read More
In the tale of the three little pigs, our three little friends continue to make false assumptions of their safety based on the construction material of their house. It was not until the third little pig constructed a house of bricks that the wolf had met his match no matter how strong his huff and... Read More