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Tag Archives politics — page 16

“Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable food production, enhanced biodiversity and cleaner air and water for present and future generations.” – MP Alistair MacGregor.
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NDP introduces soil health bill

Bill C-290 proposes to rebuild soil capacity

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A bill being introduced by the NDP vows to help fight food insecurity and support farmers.  MP and NDP agriculture critic Alistair MacGregor introduced a private member’s bill to create a National Soil Health Strategy for Canada. Why it matters: A bill to promote soil conservation could help rebuild soils by giving farmers new tools, […] Read more
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Opinion: Officials should follow advice of migrant advocates

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Glacier FarmMedia – Reports of vaccinations for seasonal farm employees and workers at processing plants are encouraging, but more attention must be paid to the needs of international farm workers.  Despite federal government failure to adopt more assertive measures dictating when these essential workers will receive their shots, many provinces are starting to report COVID-19 […] Read more
The federal government is willing to unlock $45 million to increase compensation rates to farmers, so long as the provinces agree to collectively contribute $30 million.
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Opinion: The feds came with cash for AgriStability, but Prairie provinces are holdouts

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Provinces expressing disappointment with the federal government for not putting its share of AgriStability funding on the table are being disingenuous and failing to take their share of responsibility for reform talks that failed largely due to their tight pockets. The AgriStability saga between Prairie provinces and the federal government continues, despite the two sides […] Read more
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Editorial: Lessons from political speeches

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There’s rarely enough news in politician visits to farmer group meetings to justify a report. Sometimes there’s an announcement to be made and then they let the farm media know in advance that we need to pay attention. The script is usually similar: Tell farmers, with exact numbers, how many members they have in their […] Read more
While Agriculture Day is meant to celebrate and promote agriculture, it also needs to pay attention to issues that matter to people outside its industry.
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Comment: Escaping the echo chamber on Agriculture Day

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If the point of Agriculture Day is meant to celebrate and promote agriculture, it sort of succeeded on the first and failed on the second.  Celebrations were done mostly inside an echo chamber. Industry people went, nobody else heard much about it. Industry can look outside of itself to see there are effective ways to […] Read more
Most farmers in India remain small in production and land use.
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Opinion: Why Indian farmers are so angry

The Modi government’s agricultural reforms are causing widespread uncertainty

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India’s farmers have been protesting since the autumn, with a growing intensity that culminated in a violent breaching of barriers in the Red Fort in Delhi during India’s Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26. The protests were spurred by the passing of a set of agricultural reform bills in parliament in September 2020 that aimed […] Read more
Opinion: Keep an eye on Budget ‘21
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Opinion: Keep an eye on Budget ‘21

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The federal government’s next budget could have a significant impact on the future of Canadian agriculture.  It’s worth paying attention to. Canadians didn’t get a 2020 budget: it was an early casualty of COVID-19, cancelled in the pandemic’s infancy.  Instead we were offered economic updates and a series of spending announcements, almost entirely COVID-19 related.  […] Read more
Opinion: Ottawa needs to better communicate TFW strategy
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Opinion: Ottawa needs to better communicate TFW strategy

Provincial information isn’t always aligned

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Ottawa is right to ensure temporary foreign workers will be able to arrive in Canada despite stricter travel restrictions due to COVID-19. However, it must do a better job of getting all the provinces on board.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 29 flights to and from sunny destinations will be suspended, but federal […] Read more
The federal government’s offer would increase the cost of the program, make it easier to access while also increasing the size of payouts to farmers.
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Opinion: Prairie provinces not warming up to AgriStability changes

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Public pressure is building on provinces still resisting federal changes to AgriStability, notably Manitoba and Saskatchewan. But there are no signs the strategy is working. Meanwhile, the federal government and those provinces in favour of the changes, hope the proposals will be accepted soon. At a Nov. 27 online meeting with her provincial and territorial […] Read more

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