American president Donald Trump returned last month from a trip to India empty-handed in terms of any new trade deal. India and its prime minister, Narendra Modi, did roll out the red carpet for President Trump, which was topped off by a rally at a cricket stadium with over a hundred thousand people reportedly in... Read More
Category: Trade
If the empty space on grocery store shelves that used to hold toilet paper and hand sanitizer are any indication, consumer panic has set in regarding the potential impact of coronavirus. While stocking up on essentials may be a predictable response, the effect this disease may have on domestic and international food supply chains is... Read More
If there's one thing farmers want less of, it's paperwork. However, in the current climate of "don't just say you're doing the right thing — prove it," verification programs and the corresponding administration are on the rise. Verification and best management practice programs are not new for Canadian farmers, from the Environmental Farm Plan, to... Read More
Japan has closed all schools for a month, Romanians are facing empty supermarket shelves, and some firms in England have asked staff to work from home. The fear of coronavirus is spreading, and it's spreading into the commodity markets. "Traders and markets caught obviously the fear of the virus," says Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim... Read More
It can be easy to think about Canadian grain, canola, soybeans, or meat as just commodities — a product bought and sold, traded, and shipped. And that's true, of course, but those commodities are also eventual meals for Canadian customers, even if those customers live in places such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, or the Philippines.... Read More
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is calling on the federal government to resolve the issues with railway blockades, as agriculture sits on a "tipping point" of lost revenue, lost trade, and potentially an animal welfare issue, as propane, once again, is not making its way east. In Quebec, 85 per cent of poultry barns are... Read More
Canada's current bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) status, as defined by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), is "controlled risk." Canada was eligible to apply to downgrade its risk status last summer; however, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it's on track to submit for "negligible risk" status by July of this year. "The U.S.... Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) recently surprised many in the industry with its immediate withdrawal from the Grain Growers of Canada. While the exit itself bears dissecting, the underlying — and growing — discontent with the federal agriculture department requires just as much discussion. Markus Haerle is the chair of GFO and a grain... Read More
Two projects aimed at reducing risk for exporters and improving the sustainability claim of Canadian grain are moving forward with announced federal funding of $1.2 million. The projects are headed up by the Canada Grains Council. More than $430,000 will be used to develop a pilot insurance product for grain exporters to address the risks... Read More
News of the U.S./China trade deal has largely focused on China agreeing to purchase $80 billion in U.S. agricultural goods over the next two years, but there are other clauses in the text of the deal that have the potential for a large impact on American and Canadian beef producers. The deal also includes a... Read More