Several government departments, consultations, and decisions are converging to clear a path for gene-editing technology to be approved as a breeding technique for conventional crops. That's right, if the last hurdle can be cleared — approval of gene-edited plants for livestock feed — a variety or cultivar produced with gene-editing techniques would be considered non-novel... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau today announced how Canada will handle crop cultivars that contain gene-editing as part of the breeding process. Bibeau says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has officially published updated guidance for Part V(5) of the Seed Regulations to make it clear which plants — whether developed via... Read More
The Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC), made of up 27 non-supply managed commodity organization, is asking Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, to remove the 35 per cent tariff currently levied on Russian-sourced fertilizer. In a letter sent April 13, 2023, the group outlines the collective value of the groups' economic activity... Read More
A group of 13 commodity and farm organizations representing grain shippers are calling on the federal government to move ahead with a commitment to bring back extended interswitching in the Canadian rail system. The 2023 federal budget included a promise to implement an 18-month pilot trial for extended interswitching. Interswitching allows a shipper that's served... Read More
Alberta’s government says its Rangeland Grazing Framework recognizes the role ranchers play in managing Crown rangelands. The new framework is intended to provide clarity on how grazing fits in to integrated land management of public land leased or permitted to ranchers for grazing livestock. “Our ranchers have long been stewards of our rangelands, and their... Read More
While she's new to the role of president, Erin Gowriluk is already quite familiar with the organization she's leading, as she's spent the past decade working for organizations that are members of the Canada Grains Council. "I'm new to this role, but not new to the Council," she explains, discussing her new gig with RealAgriculture's... Read More
Canada's seed industry is in the midst of modernizing the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations, administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The review and modernization process, now several years in the works, is set to wrap up in 2024. The main purpose of the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations is to protect producers... Read More
It was 2004, less than a year after BSE hit the Canadian cattle industry, when Canada's first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) devastated poultry production in B.C. Without any playbook on how to manage the virus, a decision was made to cull all the birds on commercial farms in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. While... Read More
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has announced Tyler Bjornson & Associates will be providing interim leadership for the organization while it searches for a new executive director. Erin Gowriluk, who led GGC for the past five years, moved into the role of president of the Canada Grains Council as of this week. “Erin has been... Read More
There are two ways to get a horse to carry a heavy load. You can hit it with a big stick, or you can provide a reward for work well done. Think of agriculture as the horse, and governments’ sustainability goals as the load farmers are being asked to carry. Too often governments reach for... Read More