The Canadian government is launching public consultations on the creation of a "Sustainable Agriculture Strategy," which it says is intended to provide a coordinated approach to improving the agriculture sector's environmental performance and sustainability. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, spoke at media event to kick off the consultations in Ottawa on Monday. "We... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Not every acre in a field is the same when it comes to profitability. Some areas have high earning potential, while other areas are riskier, and possibly even costing money. As a wildlife biologist, those risky or unprofitable areas are what Mark McConnell is interested in. The Mississippi State University researcher made the trek to... Read More
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 0.50 per cent earlier this week, but signalled this may be the beginning of the end for rate hikes. What does this, a tight labour market, and high commodity prices have in store for 2023? J.P. Gervais, chief economist with Farm Credit Canada, spoke this week... Read More
The next meeting of federal and provincial agriculture ministers from across Canada will have a new longest-serving minister at the table. Lana Popham was shuffled out of her agriculture post, as B.C.'s provincial cabinet under new premier David Eby was announced and sworn in on Wednesday. Popham, who had served as B.C.'s ag minister since... Read More
Where Brazil and Mexico have the potential to emerge as hot markets in the longer term, China is a market that one geopolitical analyst says should be sold to when the opportunity arises, but should not be the centre of a trade strategy. Jacob Shapiro with Cognitive Investments strongly cautions Canada, and the U.S. too,... Read More
The pace that technology and manufacturing advances can, at times, be dizzying. It's no wonder then, that rules and laws on the books concerning copyright and intellectual property might need updating once in a while. Saskatchewan Conservative MP for Cypress Hills-Grassland, Jeremy Patzer, has put forward private member's bill C-294, in an effort to amend... Read More
The potential loss of access to an insecticide used to manage flea beetle populations poses a challenge for canola production in Western Canada in 2023. Syngenta and ADAMA Canada have recalled insecticide products containing lambda-cyhalothrin, under the trade names Matador and Silencer, from their distribution channels in Western Canada, following a decision by the Pest... Read More
Can governments protect valuable farmland while at the same time build housing needed for ever-expanding cities and urban cities? That question is being asked throughout Ontario agriculture this week after the provincial government passed the More Homes Built Faster Act, Bill 23. The legislation has drawn the ire of critics, as Premier Doug Ford moves... Read More
A few hundred people, passionate about Canadian agriculture, gathered in Ottawa this week for the Grow Canada conference. This event is always one of the highlights of the year, as it brings together several industry groups, farm groups, government department reps, and stakeholders, under a positive vision for forging a path forward. I was fortunate... Read More
The sheer number of people, and the corresponding economy, within the Indo-Pacific region is reason enough for every nation to have a coordinated, focused strategy for trade in the region. The need for a strategy may be clear, but the shape it takes, and the urgency with which it is prioritized varies by country. Canada,... Read More