Canada’s domestic food and agriculture supply chains have been put to the test and — the hoarding of toilet paper, flour, and meat notwithstanding — held up exceptionally well under the sudden panic-buying ahead of the COVID-19 self-isolation directive. Al Mussell, research lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems, says that these supply chains have proven to… Read More
Canada has a new ambassador to the United States. Kirsten Hillman, who has been serving as acting ambassador to the U.S. since August 2019, has been appointed to the key diplomatic post, announced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday. “Today, we are announcing Kirsten Hillman as our country’s next ambassador to the United States. When… Read More
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ban began impacting trade flows out — and in — to China and other overseas markets, Canada’s railways were struggling to catch up from a challenging shipping season. An 8-day strike, closed western lines due to slides, and then the blockades in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people of B.C., meant… Read More
Grain elevators in both western and eastern Canada are reporting delays in accessing containers to fill for overseas customers. Regular train traffic is catching up after a series of setbacks this winter — a strike, a rock slide on the western tracks, and then blockades — but container traffic is another beast entirely. Container traffic… Read More
While we are in the midst of a huge unknown as the world hunkers down to fight a common enemy in COVID-19, significant questions are being raised about food supply chains and economic resiliency. An event like this is known as a “black swan.” It’s an unpredictable, large-scale, huge impact event that fundamentally shifts how… Read More
While the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything in modern-day history, commodity markets are — perhaps surprisingly — adjusting and adapting to the global market sell-off. In this interview (recorded Thursday, so keep that in mind on quoted numbers), RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney and Brian Voth with IntelliFarm break down what’s going on in the… Read More
What a week. Frankly, the last week and even two weeks has been wild enough — let alone the last 24 hours — as the impact of COVID-19 makes its way into North American travel bans, the stock market, oil prices, the Canadian dollar and more. The volatility has been extreme. Anne Wasko, of the… Read More
Editor’s note: Bill C-4 received Royal Assent Friday (see below). In the interest of expediency in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak, Canada’s House of Commons tabled a single motion to: adopt four bills, an opposition motion, cancel all committee meetings, and adjourn. The motion passed. Included in the list is Bill C-4, the bill… Read More
Reduced slaughter capacity, tanked prices, and capped risk management programs have beef farmers in Ontario going public asking the federal and provincial governments to do more to #HelpBeefFarmers. Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) says producers are at a “tipping point” and facing economic crisis. The group says market and trade disruptions have caused average weekly… Read More
Many of Canada’s smaller farm equipment manufacturers are at risk of being left in the cold by the main U.S.-based manufacturers if the Canadian government doesn’t change its intellectual property rules, say representatives from a Saskatchewan-based company that builds attachments for harvesting equipment. Honey Bee Manufacturing’s general manager, Jamie Pegg, and Scott Smith, manager of… Read More
American president Donald Trump returned last month from a trip to India empty-handed in terms of any new trade deal. India and its prime minister, Narendra Modi, did roll out the red carpet for President Trump, which was topped off by a rally at a cricket stadium with over a hundred thousand people reportedly in… Read More
If the empty space on grocery store shelves that used to hold toilet paper and hand sanitizer are any indication, consumer panic has set in regarding the potential impact of coronavirus. While stocking up on essentials may be a predictable response, the effect this disease may have on domestic and international food supply chains is… Read More
If there’s one thing farmers want less of, it’s paperwork. However, in the current climate of “don’t just say you’re doing the right thing — prove it,” verification programs and the corresponding administration are on the rise. Verification and best management practice programs are not new for Canadian farmers, from the Environmental Farm Plan, to… Read More
Japan has closed all schools for a month, Romanians are facing empty supermarket shelves, and some firms in England have asked staff to work from home. The fear of coronavirus is spreading, and it’s spreading into the commodity markets. “Traders and markets caught obviously the fear of the virus,” says Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim… Read More
It can be easy to think about Canadian grain, canola, soybeans, or meat as just commodities — a product bought and sold, traded, and shipped. And that’s true, of course, but those commodities are also eventual meals for Canadian customers, even if those customers live in places such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, or the Philippines…. Read More