With the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement process in tatters, Canada is among a group of 23 WTO members that are trying to apply a band-aid solution for settling trade disputes amongst themselves. The group, which also includes Australia, China, the European Union, and Mexico, announced on Monday (August 3) that its temporary arrangement is… Read More
As we navigate value chains in a global pandemic, many ag and food commodities are experiencing supply disruption and major shifts in demand of both product and destination. These shifts are perhaps most evident in protein markets, and Michael Young, president of Canada Beef, says that the value chain is adapting as well as it… Read More
Most Canadians support the continued closure of the Canada/U.S. border to everything but the most essential travel, according to a recent IPSOS survey. But even that essential movement, such as that for trade, may be under threat as those moving across the border weigh the risks of entering the U.S. during a major ramp up… Read More
Cattle prices are holding steady for most of the U.S. and Western Canada on strong wholesale demand. Ranchers, too, are cautiously optimistic as pasture and hay supplies are good and calf prices have been holding steady. It’s not all sunshine and green grass, however, says Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange, as there are still… Read More
For most of Canada, producers are playing the waiting game. They’re keeping an eye on their crops and are getting ready for harvest, but they might be wondering what the markets are doing and how they’ll market their commodities. Canola is the go-to crop for profitability on the Prairies. Some areas definitely have enough moisture,… Read More
Canada and the U.S. share a border, have integrated trade systems, and similar crop mixes. The similarities don’t end there, either. Both Canada and the U.S. are dealing with trade disruption across several commodities, and are suffering from COVID-19 related shutdowns. There are differences, too, of course, and in this RealAg LIVE! Shaun Haney is… Read More
July 1st saw the implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and at the end of all the negotiations, Canada’s dairy industry has ended up as one of the largest losers of the deal. “The USMCA has some serious repercussion for our dairy industry here in Canada where they have added an additional 3.9 per cent… Read More
Grain farmers in Manitoba and west all the way to B.C. will be required to sign an eligibility declaration at the elevator when delivering grain after the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement comes into force July 1. For most farmers in that region, this requirement doesn’t actually change all that much, as declarations have been part of… Read More
The ratification of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) has brought about trade changes for several industries — including agriculture. What’s been less clear in the lead up to implementation on July 1 is the full impact of what some of the changes will mean on a day-to-day basis at the production and sale level. Many… Read More
For perhaps the first time in several generations, Canadians have been faced with real uncertainty in their food system. The fallout of the COVID-19 economic shutdown and panic buying led to shuttered processors, dumped milk, and empty grocery store shelves. Most consumers wouldn’t normally think about or talk about food security or agriculture on a… Read More
U.S. dairy groups are accusing Canada of making it difficult for U.S. dairy exporters to take advantage of the full market access negotiated in the new North American trade deal, which takes effect on July 1. The Canadian government published the fine print on how the allocation of its tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) will work under… Read More
What would the Conservative Party of Canada do with AgriStability and other business risk programs? Does this current Liberal government understand agriculture at all? What can farmers expect to change when the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement comes into effect July 1? If the answers to any of those questions interest you, check out this RealAg LIVE! segment… Read More
With tensions rising between the U.S. and China in the last ten days, questions are mounting regarding China’s ability to meet its Phase One trade deal obligations. China provided a major shot across the U.S. bow early Monday (June 1) when Reuters reported that President Xi had instructed Chinese state-owned COFCO and Sinograin to quit… Read More
The B.C. Supreme Court released its decision regarding the issue of double criminality in the extradition case of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on Wednesday. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes ruled the trial should proceed, saying the crime Meng is accused of by U.S. prosecutors would also be a crime in Canada. Farmers in Canada have… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has created a temporary ministerial exemption process that opens the door to inter-provincial movement of meat and poultry products from establishments that are not federally-licensed. Normally, meat from provincially-inspected facilities is not allowed to be sold beyond a province’s boundary, but the federal agency is offering an exemption if… Read More