After a series of failed attempts by EU member states to reach a consensus to renew authorization for glyphosate, the European Union Commission plans to issue an 18 month extension for the popular herbicide. On Tuesday, just two days before EU authorization for glyphosate was set to expire, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis committed to extending its… Read More
Category: Ag Policy
As of October 1, 2016, Mexico will fully re-open its border to Canadian beef, ending one of the few trade restrictions that still remain from the initial discovery of a case of BSE in Canada in May 2003. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Ottawa on… Read More
Before applying a plant growth regulator containing chlormequat to wheat, make sure you’ve confirmed you have a buyer willing to purchase it, because most of the major grain companies say they won’t. Potentially a valuable tool in reducing lodging, many growers are interested in applying Manipulator, a PGR introduced in Canada by Engage Agro in… Read More
At least 29 farmers will receive less than 15 cents on the dollar for crops they delivered to Naber Specialty Grains Ltd., the Melfort, Saskatchewan-based specialty crop buyer that went into receivership in June 2015. The commissioner for the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), Murdoch MacKay, suggests proposed changes to the CGC’s producer payment security program… Read More
If you listen to the radio in Canada at all, you’ve likely heard the same advertisement I’ve heard. It’s the man describing the 200 thousand kids that take part in the Timbits soccer program, with a child thinking 200 thousand children must be every kid in the world. Every time I the commercial, I wonder…how many… Read More
Dear Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, It’s only the middle of June right now, but there’s potential for a big crop in Western Canada this fall. Alberta’s latest crop report pegged growing conditions at 80 percent good to excellent, eight percent better than the five-year average. The Saskatchewan ag ministry’s most recent update also… Read More
The Canadian government says it’s following the situation surrounding the European Union’s looming deadline for glyphosate. The EU’s authorization for the herbicide is set to expire on June 30th, with member states so far unable to come to an agreement to approve a new license. Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland was not available for an interview,… Read More
A new ‘Stop at Subway for Ontario Grown’ program will see local tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers featured at the restaurant chain’s 1,300 Ontario locations during the 2016 harvest season. The announcement comes in the midst of Ontario’s Local Food Week, with funding from the Ontario government’s three-year, $6 million Local Food Investment Fund and… Read More
Canadians like farmers. There’s no better proof than Tim Hortons’ recent efforts to sell its Farmer’s Breakfast sandwich with a commercial featuring a farmer holding a trusty pitchfork. Canada’s coffee and cultural giant doesn’t leave much to chance. The mountain of eggs, sausage, hash browns and cheese could have called Trucker’s Breakfast or Banker’s Breakfast, but when it… Read More
Yield history, soil type, fertility, drainage, irrigation potential, and cropping options — those have traditionally been some of the main factors considered when assessing the value or rental rate for a parcel of farmland. But with telematics and data collection capabilities of farm equipment expanding rapidly, there’s another field characteristic that should probably be considered:… Read More
We often hear of the importance of trade, with headlines updating us on international trade deals. But, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. With each trade deal there are opportunities and risks, and it’s up to individual businesses, including farms, to assess how they could be impacted. “We’re a trading country and our agri-food sector depends… Read More
After going nearly 500 days without any new cases, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has been found on three Manitoba hog farms in a span of 10 days. On Saturday, the province’s chief veterinary officer confirmed the third case in a sow barn in the southeast region of the province. It follows positive PEDv samples from… Read More
Wearing blue t-shirts that read “Canadian milk matters,” dairy farmers from across Ontario and Quebec rallied on Parliament Hill on Thursday. The event was organized to show support for supply management and to bring attention to a basket of import-related concerns, explains Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) president Wally Smith, in the interview below. “We don’t… Read More
Update — June 6, 2016 — After failing twice to approve a new license for glyphosate, EU member states did not support a limited 12-18 month extension of the herbicide’s current license on Monday. The inability of European Union member countries to come to an agreement over glyphosate could have implications for agriculture on this… Read More
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is strongly encouraging countries to partake in an assessment of veterinary services, developed in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), The assessment, called the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) tool, is designed to assist countries in assessing current levels of veterinary service performance to identify weaknesses and strengths, as… Read More