Have you seen the Dairy Farmers of Canada newest ad? (Scroll down to view) The latest television commercial and billboard campaign has received critical acclaim from advertising big wigs, but at least some of the farmers the ad represents aren’t exactly thrilled with the “crying over spilled milk” commercial calling it “horrifying,” “dark,” and “confusing.”… Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
The appointees for the second and third highest-ranking roles at the Canadian Grain Commission have been chosen, according to a federal government website. The Governor in Council Appointments page lists East Selkirk, Manitoba-area farmer Doug Chorney as the future appointee for assistant chief commissioner, and Ogema, Saskatchewan-area farmer Lonny McKague as the future commissioner. Chorney… Read More
It’s a sensitive topic for some, and so it’s being broached lightly, but several Manitoba crop associations have participated in meetings looking at how they could collaborate, or even (dare it be said out loud) merge. The subject was brought to public light at the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) annual meeting in Winnipeg. A resolution… Read More
Everybody’s waiting to see what President Trump plans to do with NAFTA, but it’s unlikely it will be detrimental to the movement of cattle and pigs across the Canada-U.S. border, says Guelph-based livestock and meat market analyst Kevin Grier. While Trump’s “Buy American” policy and willingness to flat-out talk about being protectionist are concerning, Grier says he… Read More
Whether it’s through the Trans-Pacific Partnership or not, Canada’s meat processors say they need a trade deal with Japan to maintain exports. While Australia and New Zealand remain hopeful the TPP can move forward, the 12-country deal’s future looks bleak after President Trump followed through on his campaign promise to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement this… Read More
With federal and provincial governments rolling out carbon taxes or cap and trade programs, organizations representing farmers have been forced to choose a strategy they believe will result in the best outcome for their members. Some, such as the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, are digging in their heels and fighting any carbon tax head-on, similar to… Read More
Although United States farm groups and ag interests are still sorting out where they stand with the new administration, several voiced immediate criticism of President Trump’s formal commitment to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Monday. The TPP — a multilateral trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and 10 other countries around the Pacific Rim —… Read More
If farmers are going to pay a tax on carbon emissions, they should also receive credit for the carbon their farms remove from the atmosphere. Many in the farm community are trying to make that case, as the federal and provincial governments roll out pricing systems that appear to lean on the cost side of the… Read More
Despite the protectionist rhetoric coming from President Trump, the trade critic for the federal Conservatives sounds hopeful — even optimistic — about Canada’s trading relationship with the United States. “It’s fine to say you want to put America first. It’s fine to say you want to create jobs at home, but at the end of… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada has started its search for a new president, following the announcement of Patti Miller’s upcoming departure. Canola Council president since 2012, Miller has been appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, starting February 13. She sat down with us at CropSphere in Saskatoon last week to reflect on her… Read More
Agriculture is big business, but a small industry, if you think about the number of people involved. Within each sector, that number shrinks significantly, and, at times, trying to communicate the needs of one sector can be tough when you’re few in number. The seed industry has faced that challenge for quite some time, and,… Read More
We’re kicking off the Beef Market Update with likely the most positive-sounding Anne Wasko we’ve heard since last spring (it’s not her fault, dem cattle markets, you guys). Kelvin Heppner steps in for Shaun Haney in this latest look at beef and cattle prices across Canada and into the U.S., and Wasko can’t help but… Read More
As Donald Trump takes office in the United States, questions abound regarding the impact of his promised economic, environmental, foreign, and trade policies. There’s optimism in the agricultural regions of the U.S, as the president-elect has promised a major reduction of government agency regulation. The American people wanted something different in Washington and that is what they appear… Read More
The board of directors for the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission has decided against joining Cereals Canada, despite a motion from its members to take a seat at the table of the national industry organization. Representing the country’s largest cereal crop-producing province, the Saskatchewan wheat group is notably absent from the list of members in Cereals… Read More
Chrystia Freeland is handing over the federal government’s trade portfolio, with one major exception. As part of the cabinet shuffle announced on Tuesday, Freeland was named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, but she’s retaining the Canada-U.S. relations file, including trade relations. Quebec MP Francois-Philippe Champagne, formerly the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, becomes… Read More