Nearly a dozen agricultural commodity groups are joining shippers from other industries in calling on the federal labour minister to step in to prevent a looming strike at the Port of Montreal later this month. After going on a 12-day strike in August 2020, a truce between 1,125 workers with the Longshoremen’s Union CUPE Local... Read More
Category: Trade
The Western Canadian grain trade, with the support of the Prairie provinces, is launching a campaign to push for changes to "outdated and problematic" federal rules around the oversight of Canada's ports, mainly driven by cost increases at the Port of Vancouver over the last few years. The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) says its... Read More
Grain companies have laid out their priorities for the current review of the Canada Grain Act, with consultations underway until April 30. There have been multiple attempts to update the Act going back to the early 2000s, but they've all been derailed before reaching the point where the legislation was changed. As Wade Sobkowich, executive... Read More
The theories range from "evil" American milk making its way into Canada, to mistreatment of cows or mysterious supplements fed to cows, to enzyme activity; but any sort of factual explanation for why some Canadians are saying butter has either changed consistency at room temperature or changed in flavour since August 2020 remains a mystery.... Read More
Not only is Tom Vilsack set to return as U.S. secretary of agriculture, he's also open to bringing back U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) for beef and pork; but only if it doesn't lead to retaliation from trading partners, such as Canada, under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Vilsack, who was ag secretary when the Obama... Read More
One year in to navigating a global pandemic, it's clear that the economic health of consumers is ailing, but it's difficult to measure by how much; and until COVID-19 passes, any economic recovery in Canada is strained. "It's interesting, when we think back to a year ago, just before the pandemic really began to bear... Read More
Dairy farmers can check the mailbox soon for directions on how to access the next payment under the Dairy Direct Payment Program. The federal government announced last week that dairy farmers will receive cash payments on the basis of milk quota. The total payouts will equal $468 million in 2020-21, $469 million in 2021-22, and... Read More
Now that inauguration day has come and gone in the U.S., many Canadians are wondering what impacts the Biden administration will have on Canada. Top of mind for the agricultural sector: what will trade relations look like? Narrowing it down even more, what will Biden's approach be to the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA)? Tyne Morgan,... Read More
The federal government has announced $162.6 million in additional funding for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) over the next five years, and $40 million per year in added funding for the agency on an ongoing basis after that. The funding boost, announced by Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, and Health Minister Patty Hajdu on Friday,... Read More
What can farmers and ranchers expect from President Joe Biden's administration? Tyne Morgan, host and executive producer of the U.S. Farm Report, joins Shaun Haney for a fast-paced, 30 minute conversation covering what to expect from Biden's first 100 days in office, if ad hoc payments will continue, and commentary on Biden's choices for leadership... Read More