There's been plenty of buzz this week among farm groups and the grain industry about the long-awaited passage of Bill C-49 — the federal government's transportation legislation that covers everything from airline ownership rules to what grain companies can put in contracts with railways. Farm group leaders and representatives from the grain industry joined federal... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
In a relatively short period of time the potential U.S./China trade war has shifted to becoming a "trade truce." In potentially very good news for U.S. farmers, agricultural commodities could be one of the major beneficiaries. President Donald Trump is demanding an additional $25 billion in U.S. ag exports to China, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue... Read More
While consumer opinion is split on the health and safety of food and food ingredients derived from genetic modification (GMOs), the majority of Canadians support labeling foods that contain GMOs, according to a recent survey by Dalhousie University. Researchers at the university, led by Sylvain Charlebois, surveyed 1,046 Canadians in an effort to measure "attitudes... Read More
The Canadian government has taken a step toward ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the text of the 11-country trade deal in the House of Commons on Tuesday. However, the government must still introduce and pass a bill to implement the agreement before Canada can... Read More
Farm and grain industry groups are giving a big thumbs-up to the federal government for finally passing Bill C-49. The Transportation Modernization Act received royal assent on Wednesday, after gaining final approval from the Senate late Tuesday. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay will be joined by grain industry stakeholders at a Richardson elevator just north of... Read More
The federal government's transportation bill, which includes changes to railway legislation welcomed by farm and grain industry stakeholders, gained final approval from the Senate late Tuesday, after bouncing back and forth several times between the House of Commons and the Senate. Among other measures, the bill gives shippers the right to charge railways with penalties... Read More
Last week we heard House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) lay down a Congressional schedule deadline for a NAFTA 2.0 deal of May 17th. The negotiators did not meet the deadline and in fact, it was ignored like it never existed. Each country is spinning their version of what is left to do to complete this... Read More
Nearly all of Canada's international trade negotiations, at some point, involve discussions about the future of supply management for our dairy and poultry sectors. We've heard the U.S. dairy industry push hard against the supply management system for dairy in NAFTA 2.0 talks, especially Canada's new class 7 pricing. Some Canadians cheer this U.S. rhetoric... Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario wants to see a targeted growth strategy, a focus on business risk management programs, funding for an educational farm demo site, and signed trade agreements out of the next Ontario government. GFO also says it would like to see an exemption on farm fuel costs associated with Climate Change regulations of... Read More
Round eight of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks has been a month-long process of trying to reach common ground in Washington, with the majority of the chapters yet to be closed. This week, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan informed the trade negotiators that in order for Congress to have a chance to... Read More