When the corn, soybean, and wheat growers of Ontario chose to join forces over a decade ago, they named a Westerner, Barry Senft, as their CEO. Since then, Senft has led the newly-formed Grain Farmers of Ontario through collaboration, the addition of two other commodity groups, restrictive regulations, and a big push for public outreach…. Read More
Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr has put out a statement in regards to the government’s talks with China over blocked canola exports. Earlier this year, China revoked the export license of a major Canadian canola company citing various pests were found in the product. Later, a second company was hit with the same… Read More
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is calling on the various government parties for action this upcoming election, as they feel they’ve been in the dark for upwards of three months. The CMC says China’s temporary suspension on pork and beef exports is costing those in the industry close to $100 million. If it persists, the… Read More
Canada’s relationship with China is complicated — it involves extradition, unlawful retribution arrests, non-tariff barriers, fake CFIA documents, and a spying telecom company. In the months since the recall of former Canadian ambassador to China John McCallum, the agriculture industry has been waiting very impatiently for a new ambassador. Agriculture’s hope has been that a… Read More
Conservation Ontario has been handed a letter from the provincial government informing the authority to stick to its “core mandate” when administering and funding programs. The trouble is, it’s unclear just what the core mandate includes or leaves out — and the lack of clarity is causing many to wonder how agriculture programs will factor… Read More
Canada’s 11,000 dairy farmers are getting a pay out from the government over trade deal concessions, and America’s farmers have seen not one, but two government payments — but what about Canada’s 100,000 export dependent farmers impacted by global trade disruptions? The AGgrowth Coalition, an umbrella group representing export-dependent farmers, is calling on the federal… Read More
On the second day of the G7 meeting being held at Biarritz, France, President Donald Trump announced an in-principle trade deal with Japan.” Both the president of the U.S. and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said this trade deal has been in the works for quite some time. “This is a tremendous deal for the… Read More
Trade wars, policy shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty are all weighing on financial markets and global outlooks. Among all the turmoil, concern over climate change and global greenhouse gas emissions is growing, influencing policy worldwide. While 2019 started with ocean freight rates pulling back, impending restrictions on the industry’s sulphur dioxide emissions are putting significant upward… Read More
We now know the terms of dairy farmers’ compensation: each Canadian will give $46 each to dairy farmers over the next 8 years while paying exorbitant retail prices for many dairy products. Eggs and poultry are coming next. And don’t hold your breath because more money given to dairy farmers won’t change much of anything… Read More
What do Chinese government leaders think of Canada? Can our government correct a policy course that has put Canadian agricultural exports on the ropes and knocked canola and meat out of the globe’s most lucrative economy? Earlier this week, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney put these questions to Charles Burton, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier… Read More
August marks the beginning of the crop year, and for many farmers in Western Canada, it marks a significant anniversary — the removal of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly in 2012. The Conservatives had two minority governments leading up to eventually winning a majority in 2011. As Gerry Ritz, then federal minister of Agriculture and… Read More
Eastern Ontario’s Port of Johnstown will see a $10.4 million infrastructure renewal and expansion to capitalize on growing and emerging markets for Canadian soybean, wheat and corn, and relieve inefficiencies and bottlenecks currently experienced at the port. The federal government will foot $4.8 million of the bill through the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to… Read More
As residents of Manitoba gear up for both a provincial election slated for September and the federal election some time in October, the Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) have highlighted priority areas its members will be keeping a close eye on. “Manitoba’s 6,500 beef producers play a critical role in the local and national economy, creating… Read More
Ontario’s minister of agriculture is asking — again — that the federal government move on with resolving large-scale trade issues with China, and that the feds provide compensation for the meat sector in the meantime. Following up on a request made in early July and post-federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) meeting of agriculture ministers at Quebec City, Minister… Read More
The trade battle between the U.S. and China has taken a turn for the worse for farmers and ranchers in the U.S. in the past four days. On the heels of President Donald Trump announcing the U.S. would impose a 10 per cent tariff on the final US$300 billion of untouched imports from China on… Read More