Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday laid out its first-ever requirements for labeling of genetically engineered, or GMO, foods as early as 2020, a rule met with praise from some farmers and criticism from consumer groups. Consumers have been pushing for years for greater transparency over what is in their […] Read more
USDA outlines first-ever rule for GMO labeling
U.S. House approves farm bill without tighter food stamps criteria
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on Wednesday, capping months of acrimonious debate to finalize the legislation funding the nation’s US$867 billion food and agriculture programs. The bill, which passed by a vote of 369 to 47, will be submitted to President Donald Trump for his signature into […] Read more
Alberta cattle producers vote to keep refundable checkoff
Preliminary results in Alberta beef producers’ service charge plebiscite put a slim majority in favour of keeping their checkoff refundable. Out of 1,874 votes cast, 962 votes, or 51.3 per cent, fell in favour of a refundable service charge model, with 908 for a non-refundable model and four ballots spoiled, according to the preliminary figures […] Read more
Deere mega-dealership buys into Red Deer market
A central Alberta John Deere dealership which billed itself as “one of the few independently owned” dealers in the region is set to join Cervus Equipment. Calgary-based, publicly-traded Cervus announced Friday it will buy Red Deer-based Deermart Equipment Sales for an undisclosed sum. Deermart, owned by John Donald, Jack Donald and Abe Derksen since 1982, […] Read more
Walmart’s LatAm delivery app Cornershop eyes Canada
Mexico City | Reuters — Cornershop, a Latin American grocery delivery app being acquired by Walmart, plans to expand into Canada early next year as a test market for the U.S., an executive for the three-year-old mobile app said. Walmart is buying Cornershop, which offers deliveries in Mexico and Chile, for US$225 million. The deal, […] Read more
New Brunswick ag, fisheries files remarried
New Brunswick’s incoming minority Progressive Conservative government will again have one minister handling the province’s agriculture and aquaculture files. Premier Blaine Higgs on Friday announced Gagetown-Petitcodiac MLA Ross Wetmore as his minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries. Wetmore, 65, replaces Andrew Harvey and Benoit Bourque, who had handled the agriculture and fisheries portfolios respectively on […] Read more
Trade pact clause seen deterring China trade deals with Canada, Mexico
Washington | Reuters — China’s hopes of negotiating a free trade pact with Canada or Mexico were dealt a sharp setback by a provision deep in the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that aims to forbid such deals with “non-market” countries, trade experts said on Tuesday. The provision specifies that if one of the current North […] Read more
Mexican president-elect insists on trilateral NAFTA
Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — The United States and Mexico are due to release the text of their trade agreement on Friday, increasing pressure on Canada to join its partners in revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement while Mexico’s president-elect said he would insist on a trilateral pact. President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said […] Read more
Photo-finish election claims New Brunswick’s ag minister
New Brunswick’s incumbent agriculture minister is among the Liberal cabinet members knocked out of office in Monday night’s too-close-to-call provincial election. Final results from Elections New Brunswick put Progressive Conservative candidate Robert Gauvin ahead of Agriculture, Mines and Rural Affairs Minister Wilfred Roussel by a spread of 99 votes in his northeastern riding of Shippagan-Lameque-Miscou. […] Read more
Protecting the health of the soil resource
Dutch farmers receive outside assistance to maintain a sustainable crop rotation on a small land base
Dutch potato farmer Gert-Jan van Dongen may not own the land he farms on but that isn’t stopping him from being concerned about its future. Van Dongen runs a potato farm near Zeewolde, Netherlands, but doesn’t own the land, instead renting it from the Dutch government. Land rents in the Netherlands average 791 euros per […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
