The executive director at Soy Canada says exporters are reporting that China is holding shipments of soybeans on arrival while the country conducts tests for “some normal plant pathogens.” “We haven’t heard of this happening before, so it seems to be new,” Ron Davidson says. The delay has not yet been confirmed to RealAgriculture by… Read More
After almost a year of tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada and the United States have reached an agreement to eliminate associated tariffs on both sides of the border. The agreement, released Friday, May 17, states: The United States and Canada agree to eliminate, no later than two days from the issuance of this statement:… Read More
Investing in public trust without a company logo attached is just one of the ways our farm and food system can move the conversation forward, says Crystal Mackay, former president of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). While the entire conversation over social license and public trust is relatively new to Canada’s food system,… Read More
$15 billion in aid. That’s the amount the U.S. government announced on Monday for its producers through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) as compensation for lost income stemming from the country’s trade war with China. This is not the first, but the second round of aid given, as a trade agreement eludes U.S. President Trump… Read More
Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-food minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau says she met with China’s Agriculture Minister Han Changfu while at the G20 agricultural ministers’ meeting held at Niigata, Japan, last week. When speaking to Minister Han, she expressed Canada is “increasingly troubled” by the lack of evidence provided to Canada regarding the pests of concern in relation… Read More
By Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada The world has become protectionist. There is, justifiably, much focus on issues with China. But it is not just China. Canadian agriculture commodities are blocked in India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam and face issues in key markets such as Peru. Countries are turning inward, finding new ways… Read More
With all that’s going on with China and U.S. relations, you can be forgiven for perhaps not noticing there was a USDA report on Friday, May 10. To discuss what impact the report had, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney is joined by Matthew Pot, of Grain Perspectives, and although the report is perhaps less of… Read More
Political stripes aside, the defeat of Rachel Notley’s NDP government in Alberta struck a nerve with people concerned about gender-balanced, inclusive representation among provincial leaders. Not since the early 1980s have provincial governments in our country all been led by men. It was glaring enough to see the photo of provincial leaders together last July… Read More
Several Ontario producer groups and at least one lawyer are sounding the alarm on animal rights activists getting off scot-free in the province. Livestock producer groups are speaking out after a court decision this week to drop charges against an animal rights activist who recorded her trespassing on a Lucan-area hog farm multiple times in… Read More
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal ruled Friday afternoon, the federal carbon tax imposed on the province is constitutionally sound and falls within the legislative authority of Parliament. The court ruled 3-2 in favour of the federal government. The ruling was dissented by Justices Ralph Ottenbreit and Neal Caldwell, with the argument that Part 1 of the… Read More
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has confirmed with RealAgriculture, two Canadian pork exporters have had their permits suspended. The news broke late Wednesday and so far the Agriculture Minister isn’t aware of any other permit agriculture related suspensions at this time other than two canola exporters. The minister says the reason for the suspensions… Read More
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Andrew Scheer says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not doing enough to clear up the stuck canola shipments to China and wants Trudeau to initiate a World Trade Organization challenge sooner that later. “It has been four months since China announced it would ban Canadian imports of canola,… Read More
Farmers and ranchers across North America have lobbied hard for the continuation of NAFTA and now the ratification of the USMCA. Ratification, however, seems elusive and is stalled for different reasons in all three signatory countries. One of the major obstructions is the section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs still in place. Canada has temporarily… Read More
Federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Marie-Claude Bibeau was on hand at St. Breslau, Ont., to announce a repayable interest-free loan of $10 million for Ontario pork processor Conestoga Meats. “Conestoga Meats and its farmer-owners are very appreciative of the interest-free loan that the Government of Canada is making to our business,” says Arnold Drung,… Read More
Canada, and Western Canada specifically, has been incredibly successful at growing millions of acres of plant-based protein in the form of peas, chickpeas, and canola meal. With a few exceptions, nearly all processing of Canada’s pulse crops happens outside of the country. Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, has been tasked with changing that…. Read More