These are busy times in the federal trade department, as Global Affairs Canada is acting on several key trade files. Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne is in Chile this week to discuss the possibility of an Asia-Pacific trade deal now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP.) Just last week, the department opened... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
The Western Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) delegates gathered in Saskatoon recently to discuss issues, policies, and provide guidance to each other. As luck would have it, Shaun Haney met with former WCWGA president Cherilyn Nagel at the recent Advancing Women in Agriculture conference. Nagel and Haney sat down to talk about the convention and some... Read More
Trade has become the talk on all news programs and in coffee shops across not just Canada, but all of North America. America's Trump administration has promised it will improve current deals and strike new bilateral agreements around the world, creating opportunities and challenges for Canada. With the impending NAFTA renegotiation being a hot topic,... Read More
The CEO of one of Canada's largest grain companies is "very optimistic" a timely resolution will be reached to maintain Canadian pulse crop shipments to India. A looming change to India's phytosanitary policy for pulse imports effective April 1 has left sales to Canada's largest pulse export market in limbo over the last few weeks.... Read More
Albertans are being asked to provide feedback on recommendations made by two of the working groups looking at how Bill 6 could apply to farms and ranches. Since the introduction of the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act in November 2015, farmers across Alberta, and even other provinces, have criticized the government's plan... Read More
After launching exploratory discussions with China last fall, the Canadian government is taking another step toward negotiating a trade deal Canada's second-largest trading partner. As part of the March 4th issue of the Canada Gazette, Global Affairs Canada announced it's asking for feedback on how to proceed with a possible free trade agreement with China.... Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission formally launched consultations today on a proposed reduction to its user fees. The CGC is also seeking input on potential uses of its $107 million surplus. The proposal and discussion period come less than three weeks after new commissioners took the reins of the federal department that regulates the grain industry.... Read More
A guest editorial by Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada There have been a lot of questions about trade since the U.S. election. The new President promised to take the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and he did just that with his first Executive Order. President Trump has also promised to renegotiate NAFTA, causing... Read More
With seeding just two months away, Canada's pulse crop industry is in limbo, facing the threat of not having access to its largest export market as of the end of March. India's government says it will not extend a derogation (or an exemption) allowing pulses from Canada to be fumigated with methyl bromide upon arrival,... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is one of the cornerstones of food safety in Canada. Federal inspectors monitor meat and food processing plants, feed mills, and even farms. But beyond what we tend to hear in the media about inspections, the CFIA has much larger responsibilities, some of which need to be separated from... Read More