Glacier FarmMedia – Canadians can be forgiven for offering little more than passing shrugs at the ongoing Conservative Party of Canada leadership race. The ongoing pandemic, the governing Liberals’ handling of it, and the WE Charity scandal side dish are consuming our attention. At least for me, the political and cultural fractures in the United […] Read more
Opinion: Ending carbon tax not an electable position for leadership candidates
CPC leadership hopefuls list ending carbon tax as priority for agriculture
Party leadership candidates also look to strengthen trade relationships
Removing the carbon tax is the main priority for the two top Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership candidates, according to a recent survey. Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole, considered the front-runners in a small field of leadership hopefuls, listed eliminating the environmental policy in response to a series of questions posed to them by […] Read more
Agricultural Youth Council members introduced
Jobs for next generation also come online
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has named the 25 young people chosen to sit on the inaugural Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. Members of the council (see list below) are expected to offer suggestions on government priorities and identify problems and solutions for Bibeau. “That was quite a challenge actually, because we received over 800 candidates,” Bibeau […] Read more
Opinion: Food recovery program would have permanent value
Glacier FarmMedia – Now that we know more about how the Surplus Food Rescue program will work, there should be a recognition for its need beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was announced as part of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and comes with $50 million in funding to help move extra […] Read more
Canada’s pace in trade talks with U.K. raising frustration
Doubts remain on potential benefits for Canadian farmers
The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) is expressing frustration over the pace at which Canada is engaging the United Kingdom toward a post-Brexit free trade deal. Steve Verheul, assistant deputy minister of trade policy and negotiations at Global Affairs Canada, told a parliamentary committee any deal between the two countries will be impacted by European […] Read more
Comment: Agriculture and food affected by racism too
Like many, I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to listen and learn as much as I can from the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. After watching the video of George Floyd being murdered as he pleaded for breath, I realized with horror it was not the first time I had seen a Black man […] Read more
Opinion: Business risk management reform remains possible
Among the long list of complaints to government from producers in recent months, their concern over business risk management programs has been the most consistent. Other grievances remain. The carbon tax is an irritant, but the now-futile campaign against it has lost steam throughout the pandemic. Lack of labour and access to foreign trade markets […] Read more
Cannabis carries farm growth in otherwise average year
Crop receipts declined 1.1 per cent without cannabis numbers included
Glacier FarmMedia – New data from Statistics Canada shows farm cash receipts continue to trend upward, increasing in 2019 by 5.7 per cent or $66.1 billion to mark the ninth consecutive year of increase and the largest single-year uptick since 2012. But that number is less impressive when cannabis is removed from the equation, which […] Read more
Delays continue for foreign worker arrival
Office closures and conditions in other countries continue to be a major barrier
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s immigration minister says Canadian officials are facing challenges in working with other governments to ensure farm workers get to Canada. “There are conditions outside of Canada, in other countries that cause the offices to be closed so we’re still addressing the issues with our partners outside of Canada to improve the […] Read more
Details on federal food surplus program expected in ‘days’
Ottawa already at work with businesses, minister says
Ottawa — Detailed plans of the federal government’s food buyback program are expected soon, according to Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Ottawa tabbed $50 million of its COVID-19 response funds for agriculture to buy surplus food from farmers and redistribute it to communities in need. The challenge Bibeau and her federal colleagues are faced with is […] Read more
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