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Beekeepers call to reopen cross-border package bee trade

Ten years after the last risk assessment, some say it’s time to re-evaluate

Canadian beekeepers are calling for the federal government to reopen the border to the importation of U.S. package honeybees. Witnesses at a meeting of the House of Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food last Wednesday presented recommendations for what the government could do to resolve issues of honeybee health decline and bee mortality. The […] Read more

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Buy or rent? Land rent-to-price ratio can help farmers decide

FCC sees current ratios on farmland as (roughly) stable

Higher interest rates don’t seem to be affecting the ratio between land values and land rental costs — at least, not yet. Farm Credit Canada’s latest analysis of farmland rental prices says they’re roughly maintaining their traditional linkage, says J.P Gervais, the organization’s chief economist. “We were curious to see whether that would bring up […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soft red winter wheat with 100-day moving average, Minneapolis July 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. July 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat closes down as global supplies look strong

Market monitoring Plains rain relief, Black Sea grain talks

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains and soybean futures closed lower to mixed on Wednesday, as traders eyed sluggish demand and upcoming U.S. export sales data. Wheat fell on news of ample short-term global supplies, despite the risk that an agreement allowing exports from war-torn Ukraine may end next month. Canadian farmers intend to […] Read more

A vineyard at Naramata in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Global wine trade hits record-high value but volumes fall

Canada 27th in production, sixth in imports

Paris | Reuters — The global wine trade reached record-high value last year, supported by a sharp rise in prices, but the amount of wine sold fell due to weaker demand and logistical problems, an industry body said. The International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) said on Thursday that global wine exports in 2022 […] Read more

A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Australia reaches deal with China in barley dispute

Trade shift may be 'bad news' for Canada and other exporters

Sydney/Beijing | Reuters — Australia has reached an agreement with China to resolve their dispute over barley imports, the two countries said on Tuesday, a latest sign of improving ties between the major commodity trade partners. Relations between the two had been strained for years, and worsened after Australia called for an inquiry into the […] Read more


File photo of a goose hunter and dog in Canada. (Brian Scholl/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario domestic dog dies of avian flu

Three poultry barns east of Montreal see outbreaks in space of a week

Pet owners are being warned not to feed their animals raw meat from poultry or game birds or allow pets to consume or play with dead wild birds after the death of a dog from avian flu in southern Ontario. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday reported the results of a necropsy on an […] Read more

File photo of tobacco fields at Vinales in western Cuba. (Nikada/E+/Getty Images)

U.S. ag businesses want Biden to allow more investment in Cuba

Canadian investment 'significant' in Cuban business

Havana | Reuters — U.S. agribusinesses, on a trade tour in Cuba, said on Tuesday they were “losing” in their bid to boost commerce with Cuban farmers and called on the Biden administration to ease restrictions and allow them to invest in private agriculture on the island. U.S. President Joe Biden last May loosened restrictions […] Read more



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International farmers may ease Canadian human capital crunch

A global retirement crunch is coming and Canada is ill prepared, report says

As other nations reduce their agricultural footprints in an effort to boost sustainability, their loss could be Canada’s human capital gain, a new report suggests. “The immigration of scientists, data engineers, and entrepreneurs has been recognized as critical to Canada’s growth. A similar approach needs to be adopted to attract farmers,” the authors wrote. The […] Read more

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Beef sector rips ‘unjust’ result as talks wrap on U.K. entry to CPTPP

Dairy sector calls for 'vigilant' enforcement on British imports

Negotiations have concluded for the United Kingdom to join Canada and its 10 partner nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact, with Canada’s beef cattle sector already calling the results “fundamentally unjust.” Federal Trade Minster Mary Ng on Thursday announced the conclusion of negotiations, making the U.K. the first accession applicant to reach that […] Read more