Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his staff are looking for ways to reduce the federal agriculture budget by three per cent, in line with what’s been asked of other federal departments. That’s one of the pieces of information gleaned from a one-on-one interview with Minister MacAulay, recorded Thursday, Nov. 9. MacAulay says he never dreamed… Read More
Category: Regulatory
It’s been a long process, but Canada is nearing a final decision on the use of gene editing in crop development. Krista Thomas, vice president of seed innovation and trade policy with the Canada Grains Council, explains the final assessment — that of feed for livestock — is nearing completion, as the consultation wraps up… Read More
It’s time for this week’s episode of RealAg Politics! On this show, host Shaun Haney is joined by: Steve Pratte, senior manager, transportation and biofuel policy with the Canadian Canola Growers Association, on Transport Canada’s upcoming railway policy review; Erin Gowriluk, president of Canada Grains Council, on the importance of science-based policy; and, Alanna Koch,… Read More
The federal government announced a series of changes to its policies around pesticide use on Tuesday, including the introduction of a ban on cosmetic uses of pesticides on federal land and the end of a nearly two-year pause on reviews of maximum residue limits (MRLs). CropLife Canada, which represents companies that make crop protection products,… Read More
Last year, spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food set out to better understand the impact of international volatility on grain and other commodity markets and the possible need for global aid. Following that process, the Committee then decided to look further in to global food insecurity, by starting… Read More
Several government departments, consultations, and decisions are converging to clear a path for gene-editing technology to be approved as a breeding technique for conventional crops. That’s right, if the last hurdle can be cleared — approval of gene-edited plants for livestock feed — a variety or cultivar produced with gene-editing techniques would be considered non-novel… Read More
While she’s new to the role of president, Erin Gowriluk is already quite familiar with the organization she’s leading, as she’s spent the past decade working for organizations that are members of the Canada Grains Council. “I’m new to this role, but not new to the Council,” she explains, discussing her new gig with RealAgriculture’s… Read More
Canada’s seed industry is in the midst of modernizing the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations, administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The review and modernization process, now several years in the works, is set to wrap up in 2024. The main purpose of the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations is to protect producers… Read More
The decision by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to allow lambda-cy sales with a food-only use label has the potential to put producers in a difficult position early in the growing season. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), says that this is an incredibly difficult situation, but it hasn’t… Read More
Although insecticide products containing lambda-cyhalothrin, such as Matador and Silencer, are registered and will be available for sale in Ontario for the 2023 growing season, some producer groups are cautioning against use of the products due to possible end-use trouble. The updated label for April 2023 removes feed crops as an approved application, but as… Read More