Glacier FarmMedia – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to spend $162.6 million over the next five years to improve services. Why it matters: CFIA plans to increase its surveillance and oversight programs so it can better respond when new food pathogens, invasive species or other diseases are identified. According to the federal government, the […] Read more
Food safety, surveillance focus of new CFIA funding
New trade agreements drive need to monitor imports, help with exports
Canada, Indonesia explore trade deal
Broader Southeast Asian pact could have potential
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada is exploring a potential trade pact with Indonesia as it continues to seek out deals in the Asia-Pacific region. International Trade Minister Mary Ng made the announcement Jan. 11. Why it matters: Asian-Pacific nations make up one of the largest potential growth markets for Canadian agricultural commodities, especially given the increased […] Read more
Travel restrictions won’t impact TFWs: federal sources
New restrictions will limit pleasure trips to the Caribbean and Mexico to April
New travel restrictions imposed on Canadians by the federal government won’t impact the arrival of temporary or seasonal foreign workers, according to sources. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Jan. 29 that Canada’s air carriers had agreed to suspend services to sunny destinations. Flights to tropical locations, like Mexico, are being cancelled by Air Canada, West […] Read more
Comment: Vaccines need national co-ordination
The federal government should be taking a more assertive position in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. When the first batch of vaccines arrived in Canada, Ottawa released recommendations on who should receive the first doses — but the ultimate discretion was left to individual provinces. Recommendations, according to the federal government, were made to […] Read more
Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal
Possibility of broader Southeast Asian pact also looms
Continuing to seek out free trade deals in the Asia-Pacific region, Canada has launched public consultations on the merits of a potential bilateral pact with Indonesia. “Deepening trade ties with Indonesia would benefit Canadian businesses of all sizes and lead to economic growth and prosperity for years to come,” International Trade Minister Mary Ng said […] Read more
Managing COVID, female leadership and the climate plan
Federal agriculture minister looks ahead to 2021 and back through a challenging 2020
Questions and answers have been edited for length. Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau recently talked to Glacier FarmMedia Ottawa reporter D.C. Fraser in a year-end interview. Looking back at the year, what was the biggest personal challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic for you? Trying to identify those who were the most in […] Read more
Comment: Producers biggest losers of slow RMP talks
Politicians from different levels of government and party stripe continue to debate how to improve Canada’s business risk management programs – but already, producers have lost. Finger-pointing among elected officials began almost as soon as the latest round of federal-provincial-territorial agriculture minister meetings ended with no consensus on changes to business risk managements (BRM) programming […] Read more
Dairy compensation coming quicker than expected
Poultry sectors finally get 10-year compensation plan
Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian producers in supply-managed sectors received details of federal government plans to compensate them for recently signed trade deals and the money is coming sooner than later. Why it matters: Supply-managed sectors were forced to permit access to some previously protected markets during negotiations for international trade deals. In exchange, producers in […] Read more
Opinion: Biden’s victory a win for carbon pricing policy
Canada’s carbon pricing could help products get through a stiffer U.S. border
United States President-elect Joe Biden’s climate strategy will lay waste to the tired opposition some Canadians have to our country’s carbon pricing policy. Biden campaigned on aggressively combating climate change. When he becomes president in January, it is expected he will create investment in green technologies. Like Canada, the U.S. will soon be trying to […] Read more
No clear solution on AgriStability
Federal government makes new proposal to provinces
Glacier FarmMedia – No consensus on changes to business risk management was reached during the latest round of federal-provincial-territorial meetings. After the meetings ended Nov. 27, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau explained Ottawa was willing to maintain the current cost sharing of the programs at a 60-40 split between her government and […] Read more
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