Coming out of their meeting in Quebec City, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers for agriculture say they plan to meet again before year’s end to see about improving the AgriStability program for 2020. In a statement Friday, the ministers said they discussed “adjustments that could improve existing (business risk management) programs to address the […] Read more
Ag ministers aim for AgriStability upgrades for 2020
Consultations begin online for replacing Alberta’s Bill 6
A new online survey and direct consultations this summer are expected to inform the new Alberta government’s plans to swap out its predecessor’s legislation on farm and ranch worker protection. Alberta’s governing United Conservatives — who made repeal and replacement of Bill 6 a core plank of their platform before unseating the NDP government back […] Read more
USMCA dispute panel fix must be ‘across the board,’ Mexico says
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico sees a push to close a dispute resolution loophole in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal as a way to protect its interests as well as helping satisfy demands by U.S. Democrats that the deal contain stricter labour measures, a senior official said on Thursday. Reuters reported last week that Mexico […] Read more
El Nino seen transitioning to neutral in next month or two
Reuters — The El Nino weather pattern is likely to transition into ENSO-neutral conditions in the next month or two, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. “ENSO-neutral” refers to periods in which neither El Nino nor La Nina is present, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC). ENSO-neutral conditions are […] Read more
U.S., Canada, 14 others slam EU farm product regulation at WTO
Geneva | Reuters — The United States and 15 other countries launched a broadside of criticism at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Their statement, submitted to the World Trade Organization, said the EU’s approach created great uncertainty […] Read more
Lennon to be new OFA general manager
She has worked across the agriculture sector for farmer organizations
Cathy Lennon will be the new general manager of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), replacing Neil Currie, who retires at the end of August. Lennon comes to the OFA from the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, after a long career with agriculture organizations. Why it matters: Neil Currie has with the OFA for 19 years, […] Read more
Rain gives farmers relief, for now, from three-year drought
Winnipeg | Reuters — With drought turning Chad Ross’s pastures brown, the southeastern Saskatchewan rancher sent 140 head of cattle to slaughter earlier than usual this spring, as the Prairies’ three-year drought made them too expensive to feed. The ranch and feedlot near Estevan has lost money two straight years. Long-awaited rains that swept the […] Read more
Farm equity growth slows in 2018
MarketsFarm — Equity in Canada’s farm sector increased by 3.6 per cent in 2018, hitting $522.2 billion, according to a report Thursday from Statistics Canada. The growth was well below the 6.4 per cent increase reported the previous year, and continued a trend of slower growth since 2013. Realized net farm income was down by […] Read more
EU crop chem firm Belchim buys full control of Canadian arm
The Belgian crop chemical firm that bought a majority stake of Canadian crop chemical distributor Engage Agro in 2016 has bought up the rest of the business. Belchim Crop Protection announced Monday it had increased its stake in the Guelph-based company — which it renamed Belchim Crop Protection Canada in 2017 — to 100 per […] Read more
Federal food policy aims to lift local and Canadian-grown products
Federal programs to boost the profile of domestic and locally grown foods at home while reducing food waste, food insecurity and deceptive food marketing are all up for funding under the government’s new Food Policy for Canada. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Parliamentary Ag Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant announced the new policy Monday in Montreal, following […] Read more
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