Relationships matter. This might sound like a cliché to some, but that does not make it any less true. Agriculture in Western Canada is dependent on trade. Maintaining our relationships with our partners in other countries is one of the most important things agriculture representatives do, and no relationship is more important than with our... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
A Liberal election promise to expand and rename Farm Credit Canada has been cancelled, according to the federal agriculture minister. The party's platform in the fall of 2019 included a promise to "merge existing financial and advisory services currently scattered between several agencies into Farm Credit Canada, whose mandate will be expanded and enhanced." The... Read More
It isn't uncommon to read about issues happening around the world that create hardship for some but leaving others unaffected, however; food inflation is not one of them. The rising cost of food is an issue being felt throughout North America and across the globe. Although it can be easy to focus on rising total... Read More
Hosts Shaun Haney and Kelvin Heppner are back for another edition of RealAg Politics, where they discuss the latest in agricultural policy issues. This week we're doing things a bit differently — instead of one segment, we're having three, with three different topics and four guests! This week's guests are : Tom Steve of the... Read More
It's a global game of chess and it's Russia's move. With ongoing talks of Russia allowing wheat exports to come out of Ukraine, which could mean 50 to 60 million metric tonnes of wheat, those market values have experienced a slight decline over the recent past; however some experts are saying it's not likely long-lived... Read More
In an effort to establish new trade agreements with Asia, the U.S. has announced its intention to enter in to a trade pact named the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Canada was not included, but experts say there's no need to fret over the forgotten invitation. Carlo Dade, director of the trade and investment centre with the... Read More
A private member's bill aimed at reducing the risks of biosecurity breaches and trespassing on farms was re-introduced in the House of Commons on May 30. Bill C-275 was brought forward by Foothills MP and Conservative shadow minister for agriculture, John Barlow. Like Barlow's previous Bill C-205, the new bill would amend the Health of... Read More
The U.S. has filed a new trade complaint over Canada's freshly updated rules for dairy imports. On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, announced the U.S. has once again requested dispute settlement consultations with Canada under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA or USMCA) over Canada's dairy *tariff rate quota (TRQ) system, which was updated in... Read More
Health Canada has issued a long-awaited clarification on how it will regulate different forms of plant breeding, including newer gene-editing methods. Genetically modified crops are deemed "novel" under Canada's regulatory framework, requiring an expensive multi-year safety review before being approved for sale, but there was uncertainty about whether gene-edited crops would also be treated as... Read More
Canada is standing by its proposed solution regarding dairy tariff-rate quotas under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as U.S. dairy groups continue to pressure the White House to escalate the matter. Earlier this week, U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai said Canada's changes didn't go far enough, and the proposed solution was a disappointment. Jim Wiesemeyer... Read More