The possibility of both CN Rail and CPKC striking in the next month could leave farmers sitting on grain contracted for delivery this spring. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), the union representing more than nine thousand CN and CPKC railway workers, organized an electronic strike vote beginning on April 8th to give members the... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay has announced the appointment of David Hunt as the new chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. Hunt will replace Doug Chorney, whose term expires at the end of April. Chorney chose to not re-apply for the job. Hunt has worked for the Manitoba government since 2007, starting as a... Read More
Incorporated farms in provinces where the federal carbon tax is collected should receive a little more back on their tax return under the "Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses" proposed in the federal budget last week. The federal government said it would "urgently" return more than $2.5 billion in accrued carbon tax revenue going back... Read More
There may be a flurry of activity in several accountants' offices over the next 10 weeks as farm families grapple with how changes to the capital gains inclusion rate and exemption laid out in the latest federal budget may impact their succession planning. The government plans to increase the taxable portion of capital gains —... Read More
The development of Canada's biofuel sector was highlighted in the Canadian government's 2024 budget announced on April 16th, but ethanol was notably absent from the list of renewable fuel categories that will receive support. The budget included a commitment of $776 million for a retooled Clean Fuels Fund to drive production of renewable diesel, sustainable... Read More
Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is several years into what's been dubbed a "transformation." The PMRA reform process started nearly three years ago, leading up to the 2021 federal election, and this initial "transformation" was to focus on four area: transparency, increase the use of real-world data and independent advice, strengthen human health... Read More
The federal budget introduced by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday featured changes to how capital gains are taxed, as well as federal funding to develop biofuel production and artificial intelligence, but did not mention many topics and programs farm groups were hoping to see addressed. It also included many previously-announced measures, such as the... Read More
In March, under political pressure to do something about the housing crisis, the federal government announced changes to the amount of temporary residents that would be allowed in to Canada beginning May 1. On the surface, this may not seem to directly impact agriculture if farms and agri-businesses typically access the seasonal worker programs. However,... Read More
Grain Growers of Canada has published a set of policy recommendations for government to support Canada's grain sector in its "Road to 2050" sustainability inititative. The policy recommendations would see government partner with grain farmers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by increasing investment in public and private breeding research, expanding eligibility criteria and funding... Read More
Canada is a trade-reliant nation across several industries, agriculture included. Canada's primary producers have mixed opinions on the real value of trade, however. In a recent RealAgristudies survey, only 52 per cent of Canadian farmers and ranchers perceive trade and market access as having a positive impact on their operations. This statistic, though seemingly modest,... Read More