Ontario’s processing vegetable growers are expressing their disappointment over a recent provincial ruling concerning contracts for the 2020 processing tomato crop. The provincial agriculture department announced recently its intent to overhaul the regulated marketing system and move to a direct contracting model versus the current negotiation model between growers and processors. The Ontario Processing Vegetable... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
Spring has sprung in the cattle industry as ranchers focus on calving and feedyards spread manure. There are many moving parts right now for the beef industry including trade deals, consumer demand, and any ripple impacts on the protein complex due to African swine fever. On Thursday the USDA released its Cattle on Feed report... Read More
It's no surprise to many that African swine fever (ASF) was one of the main topics discussed at the National Pork Management conference. The event, held at Nashville, TN., brought together a variety of industry stakeholders including producers, packers, chief financial officers, safety directors, and more. As it just wrapped up, RealAgriculture's Shaun Haney caught... Read More
As the federal government rolled out the carbon tax April 1, farmers and rural Canadians were understandably irritated. Among the feedback we received was a question that struck me — why don't farmers get paid to store carbon in the soil? I was a little surprised, because, in at least one province, they do. Alberta... Read More
Should falling number and deoxynivalenol (DON) become official grain grading factors? The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) wants to know what you think. Right now, both are not official grading factors in the statutory Canadian grading system for any type of crop. According to a news release, DON and falling number have increasingly played a critical... Read More
Perhaps lost in the hustle and bustle of the USMCA trade dealings is the fact that Canada did retaliate against the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs with tariffs of our own on over 40 grocery and food related items. The full brunt of those tariffs is likely just beginning to be felt at the consumer... Read More
Health Canada has completed its re-evaluations of the neonicotinoid pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam in relation to the insecticides' potential impact on bees and other pollinators. The final decision, announced today, reflects scientific assessment that shows "varying effects on bees and other pollinators" from exposure to each of these pesticides, Health Canada says. The department... Read More
Much of the recent media attention has been on Canada's Prime Minister and former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, SNC Lavalin, and China blocking Canadian canola. However, NAFTA 2.0 — or USMCA — that dominated the news loop for weeks on end might make headlines once again. On Monday, Canada's ambassador to the United States, David... Read More
Many times, a face-to-face meeting is the best way to solve a problem. It minimizes keyboard bravery and conference-call bluffing, but in the case of high stakes international diplomacy things are different. There is a process to follow which can be difficult to recognize when people want a solution fast. Farmers are frustrated with the... Read More
In March, Richardson International and Viterra's export permits for China were pulled due to claims of hazardous pests in the samples. In my opinion, it appears that this is a clear shot across the bow for the Canadian government to rectify the Huawei extradition situation or face more trade consequences. The Canola Council of Canada's... Read More