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Tag Archives federal government — page 16

News

CEBA program extended to Oct. 31

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The Canadian Emergency Business Account program (CEBA), which was due to wind up Aug. 31 has been extended to Oct. 31. The program has been helpful to some farmers, but not to many others who have expressed frustration with the reasons for rejection by the government agencies administering the program. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister […] Read more
Producer groups say the billion-dollar figure amounts are misleading and that individual account amounts are insignificant.
News

Money in AgriInvest accounts ‘disappointing’: Bibeau

Minister continues to advocate that the ‘first line’ money needs to be spent

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Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau maintains farmers who need cash should first look to any available money sitting in AgriInvest accounts “The last numbers I’ve seen did not show that farmers had used their accounts very much. Some sectors a little bit more, but not in a significant way the last […] Read more
More startling was the number of accounts with a balance of zero — 10,888 — and the number with less than $10,000 in them — 62,332.
News

Most AgriInvest accounts less than $10,000

Farm groups say the federal data discredits argument that aid must wait until producers use up program money

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Glacier FarmMedia – Data sent to the House of Commons agriculture committee shows that most AgriInvest accounts hold less than $10,000 each. Only a small percentage of accounts contain $100,000 or more, according to a letter from Agriculture Canada to the committee. Why it matters: Farm groups have been making the case that emptying out […] Read more
An artists’ rendition of the Merit Functional Foods plant under construction in Winnipeg. (Meritfoods.com)
Crops

Plant-protein processor’s new processing plant gets grant

Feds, province put up cash for new equipment

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The federal and Manitoba governments have added a seven-figure contribution to their support for a new facility to process plant proteins from canola and peas. Merit Functional Foods will put the additional money toward “new equipment purchases that will support the transformation of raw inputs into value-added goods.” The unspecified new technology is expected to […] Read more
CEBA provides up to $40,000 in interest-free loans and forgives $10,000 of that if the loan is paid off in 2022.
News

CEBA dollars prove difficult for farm access

Farms have trouble getting funding due to lack of business accounts

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Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers continue to have issues applying for Canadian Emergency Business Account benefits after the federal government deemed them eligible weeks ago. The problem centres on the requirement to have a business account at financial institutions. When the program was announced small businesses had to have $50,000 in payroll to be eligible. They […] Read more
Marie-Claude Bibeau
News

Opinion: Bibeau’s value largely rests on ability to reform BRMs

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The long-term value current federal Minister of Agriculture Marie Claude Bibeau will provide to farmers hinges largely on her ability to reform business risk management programming. That is a difficult and expensive task. Recall the current plan to reform business risk management (BRM) programs was made way back in 2017, at the same time Ottawa […] Read more
The added plus of the federal government’s food surplus program is that it will support producers, particularly those with nowhere to send their perishable commodities.
News

Opinion: Food recovery program would have permanent value

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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
Commodity groups and sector advocates recognize business risk management can realistically be changed.
News

Opinion: Business risk management reform remains possible

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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
(Nadezhda_Nesterova/iStock/Getty Images)
Markets

Details on federal food surplus program expected in ‘days’

Ottawa already at work with businesses, minister says

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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
(Kelli Jo/iStock/Getty Images)
Livestock, Markets

Pig farmers seek aid of $20 per hog against market crash

Losses of $675 million expected from COVID-19-related causes

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Canada’s hog producers seek an immediate federal cash injection equivalent to $20 per hog against a market crash that’s expected to cost their sector about $675 million overall. Officials with the Canadian Pork Council on Thursday called for Ottawa to provide further aid to hog farmers who are now expecting to lose $30 to more […] Read more

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