There are two ways to get a horse to carry a heavy load. You can hit it with a big stick, or you can provide a reward for work well done. Think of agriculture as the horse, and governments’ sustainability goals as the load farmers are being asked to carry. Too often governments reach for... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
The Canada Grains Council has hired a new president. Erin Gowriluk, who has served as the executive director of Grain Growers of Canada since 2019, will become the Grains Council's president effective Monday, April 17th. Her experience also includes working in government relations and policy roles for the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, and Syngenta... Read More
After decades of debate among farmers and politicians, it took less than 15 months for the machinery of the federal government to dismantle — some might describe it as steamroll — the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk following the Conservative majority in the 2011 federal election. The behind-the-scenes of how former federal Agriculture Minister Gerry... Read More
Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has announced plans to expand its canola crushing facility at Yorkton. The facility's new capacity will be over two million metric tonnes per year, which is more than double its current capacity. LDC initially opened the Yorkton facility in 2009 and currently employs approximately 120 people. Construction of the additional canola... Read More
"If I'd give any advice, I'd say don't be afraid to ask questions...don't ask a question because you know the answer. Ask a question because you genuinely want to know, and get their opinion and get their advice. And when you ask that question, when you explore that curiosity, you're wiser, and the folks who... Read More
After undergoing some major changes through the '80s and '90s, business risk management (BRM) programs for farmers across Canada have remained largely the same for the last two decades. While there have been a few tweaks to AgriStability and its siblings in the BRM family of programs, AgriInsurance, and AgriInvest, the risks that farmers and... Read More
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is disappointed the Government of Canada has accepted restrictions on access to products in the Comprehensive and Progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) put forward by the United Kingdom as part of the terms for it to join the deal. Rene Roy, pork producer from Quebec and chair of the... Read More
Ahead of this week's federal budget, farmers in Ontario and points east were eagerly anticipating news of how approximately $34.1 million collected against sales of fertilizer was going to be spent in an effort to "return" the proceeds to those who paid the tariff. The answer to that question is what we lead off with... Read More
The United Kingdom has reached an agreement to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, better known as the CPTPP. It's the first time a new member has joined the CPTPP since the original 11 Pacific Rim countries, including Canada, reached the deal in 2018. From an agricultural perspective, the Canadian Cattle Association... Read More
Bill C-234 — the private member's bill that would remove the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on farms — received final approval at third reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday. The bill passed with a 176-146 vote, as Conservative, New Democrat, Bloc Quebecois, and Green Party MPs voted in... Read More