A new report commissioned by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) looks at the differences in profitability between cow-calf and annual crop production in southwest Saskatchewan. Over a 50 year time period, the returns from grain farming are $508/acre higher than cow-calf production, according to the research modelling... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
A controversial proposal to allow up to three severances off an Ontario farm property will be walked back, according to a letter sent to Ontario farm groups by Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Steve Clark. The decision comes after several farm groups, led by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, lobbied the government to drop the... Read More
One of the busiest people in agriculture may be Senator Rob Black. The Ontario senator seems to be everywhere these days talking to everyone on a host of issues. Earlier this month, Black's sponsored bill to establish Food Day in Canada received unanimous support at third reading in the House of Commons. The first official... Read More
The road back to profitability for the pork sector is likely long and difficult as Canadian producers continue to face a troublesome combination of declining domestic demand, fewer opportunities in export markets, and the spectre of tougher U.S. animal welfare regulations that could drive prices lower. It all adds up to tough times for pork... Read More
With California on an aggressive timeline to implement the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative — more commonly known as Prop 12 — requirements by July 1, 2023 the United States pork industry is still reeling with questions regarding the details of verification, logistics, and supply. Last week, we heard from the Canadian Pork Council on concerns... Read More
Can the production rules of one state wag the (curly) tail of pork trade for an entire country? If the state is California, the answer is: it's possible. Prop 12, first passed in the state in 2018 and then upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this week, sets out space requirements for livestock in production... Read More
The federal agriculture minister says she would like to move ahead on modernizing the Canada Grain Act before the end of the calendar year. The Act and the role of the Canadian Grain Commission in administering it have been the subject of multiple reviews and rounds of consultations, with no major changes going back to... Read More
The interest-free limit of the Advance Payments Program has been increased from $250,000 to $350,000 for the 2023 program year, effective May 8, 2023. This is the second expansion of the interest-free portion in the last year. It was increased from $100,000 to $250,000 for the 2022 and 2023 program years in June of 2022.... Read More
The federal government will extend the Agri-Food Pilot until May 14, 2025. Launched in May 2020, the pilot program is designed to facilitate the transition of agricultural and food industry workers to permanent residency in Canada. Recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce is key to success for Canadian farmers and food processors, the government says.... Read More
Last year, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food set out to better understand the impact of international volatility on grain and other commodity markets and the possible need for global aid. Following that process, the Committee then decided to look further in to global food insecurity, by starting... Read More