The Canadian government has not yet decided how it will respond to an invitation to join a U.S.-led coalition of countries promoting “sustainable productivity growth” in agriculture. The productivity-focused coalition championed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the UN Food System Summit in September is seen as countering the European Union’s Farm to Fork… Read More
For the second consecutive year, Thunder Bay, Ont. dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld will lead the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the province’s largest general farm organization. Brekveld was elected president by OFA’s board of directors after the conclusion of the organization’s annual general meeting on Monday, Nov. 22. Mark Reusser and Drew Spoelstra were re-elected as… Read More
Trains could be rolling again on CP Rail tracks through southern B.C. as soon as the middle of this coming week, barring any unforeseen issues, according to the railway. Both CP and CN Rail’s critical main lines that connect the Port of Vancouver to rest of Canada have been closed due to damage from flooding… Read More
The federal government has announced more than $4.3 million in funding to support Canada’s pulse and special crop industry in an effort to meet growing consumer demand for plant-based protein. The funding, announced by Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on November 17, will support international marketing activities to find foreign buyers, improve performance of transportation networks, and… Read More
The Canadian Crop Hail Association says despite reduced overall storm activity, more damaging storms resulted in a near-record level of hail insurance payments to farmers in Western Canada in 2021. With harvest wrapped up across the Prairies, the CCHA says payments totalled more than $322 million — the highest level since 2008. Premiums paid by… Read More
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) says they are calling on the province to reject proposals by the Saskatchewan Growth Coalition which is calling for lower rural municipal tax rates for resource and processing industries. Scott Owens, APAS board member and farmer at Maidstone, Sask., says that the proposal would decrease the amount of… Read More
Now that the federal cabinet has been selected and we have spent the last ten days worrying about the challenges and pin-pointing the potential positives, the agricultural industry needs to step back and build a better game plan when it comes to lobbying. Over time, lobbying for the agriculture industry has transitioned from being focused… Read More
Methane production naturally occurs in the stomachs of ruminant animals, such as beef cattle. Microbes work together to carry out the digestion of plant cell walls, and one of the end products of the process is methane (which often gets “burped” out, not “farted.”) Dr. Tim McAllister, research scientist in ruminant nutrition and microbiology at… Read More
Since the 40s, the number of farms in Canada are fewer and larger, a trend that holds every census. But digging in to a layer below that, are all farms getting a bit bigger year-over-year, or what does that dynamic look like? Plus, what factors are driving that average? Al Mussell, research lead at Agri-Food Economic… Read More
Erin O’Toole has turned to a familiar face from Alberta to lead the agriculture file in his shadow cabinet. John Barlow, MP for Foothills, is back as the Conservatives’ shadow minister for agriculture, a position which he previously held while Andrew Scheer was leader of the Conservative Party. “It’s great to be back,” says Barlow… Read More
Agriculture ministers from across the country have agreed to five broad priorities, but few details, for the next agricultural policy framework following three days of meetings in Guelph, Ont. The ministers released the “Guelph Statement” on Wednesday, which sets the direction for the suite of federal, provincial, and territorial programs from 2023 to 2028. The… Read More
With the latest federal election behind us, it’s time to dig in to the task at hand: lobbying this new government. This week, federal, provincial, and territorial ministers are gathering to discuss business risk management, and the next ag policy framework. We also got the Conservative’s shadow cabinet. To break this all down, host Kelvin… Read More
Wood-Bohm and Associates offer strategic consulting services to industry and government in the areas of science based innovations. Dr. Susan Wood-Bohm, recently named Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) fellow, joined Shaun Haney on RealAg Radio to talk about the projects involving greenhouse gas emissions she will be doing at CAPI. “We live in an era… Read More
When it comes to the beef industry and climate, mainstream headlines often paint the two as going in separate directions. The Canadian agriculture sector can feel attacked by policies and messaging, and as Fawn Jackson, director of policy and international affairs at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), explains from Glasgow, Scotland at the 2021 United… Read More
Addressing the shortage of workers in agriculture, “everything related to the climate transition,” and preparing for an upcoming meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts — those are the first three priorities Marie-Claude Bibeau mentions when asked about her to-do list as she returns as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Following a third consecutive… Read More