By Terry Daynard. This blog post first appeared on Terry’s blog, here. You can contact Terry via Twitter at @TerryDaynard. The recent decision by the Government of Ontario to critically restrict usage of neonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybean growers, despite limited scientific support, has been a real eye opener for Ontario farmers. This… Read More
Category: Ag Policy
With one of the longest federal election campaigns in our history in front of us, it’s reasonable to expect all sectors, including agriculture, will get an unusual amount of attention. Right now, as that campaign revs up, those who want to lead our country are still getting their sea legs. To help, here are some… Read More
The canola industry has been among the most vocal advocates of Canada being part of a possible Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. So what’s in it for canola growers? According to industry estimates, canola exports could grow by $780 million if tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal were eliminated across the TPP region. For this… Read More
This week’s Canadian ag news update, including the latest on harvest, the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks and the last days of the CWB: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Is Dropping the CWB Brand the Right Move? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Significant changes are coming to Ontario’s rules regarding small-scale chicken production. Until now, any individual could raise up to 300 birds per year under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario small flock program, a program with the intention of allowing families to raise a few chickens for themselves without requiring the purchase of production quota. Expanding… Read More
The Privy Council Office has clarified the rules regarding the conduct of government officials, including ministers, during an election. The details are of particular interest for farm groups because they allow Trade Minister Ed Fast and Canadian negotiators to continue participating in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Trade ministers and lead negotiators from the 12 participating countries… Read More
I hope you have time to take a look around at the agricultural landscape this holiday weekend, and celebrate Food Day Canada as we’ve known it over the past decade or so. Because in another 12 months, our nation’s agri-food culture could feel much different. Food Day Canada is described by its founder, culinary pioneer… Read More
From the Trans-Pacific trade negotiations in Hawaii to feeding canola to cattle to wild weather — here’s this week’s agriculture news highlights, summed up in less than 20 minutes: Poll: Should Canada Join the TPP if the Cost is Supply Management? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) announced this week the list of individuals who now form the advisory group for the Supporting the Advancement of Women in Agriculture project. The project, funded through the Status of Women Canada, will “examine and address critical barriers to advancement facing women in the industry.” From there, the… Read More
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that talk of changes to (elimination of?) supply management in Canada has recently heated up. Of particular note, delegates, politicians and the like are gathering in Hawaii right now to further hammer out details regarding a giant, international trade deal — the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)…. Read More
I always get a kick out of stories about the aging farm population, stories that begin something like “Canadian farmers are getting older…” It makes you wonder if, in some other occupations, people are actually getting younger. Of course they’re not. It’s all about average age. And further, it’s not a measure of quality, which… Read More
Quebec farmers rallied outside the constituency office of federal Minister of State Maxime Bernier in Sainte-Marie on Friday. They demanded the federal government maintain the status quo for supply management in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The rally was organized by Quebec farm group Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA). Speaking on the phone after the event, the president of… Read More
Wheat harvest has started in southern Ontario and is just around the corner in parts of Western Canada. The latest on improving grain transportation, glyphosate-resistance, tax deferrals and more — here’s this week’s audio ag news update: Get the latest news delivered to your in-box — sign-up for RealAg’s (free!) newsletters here. Subscribe: iTunes |… Read More
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast announced this week that the Government of Canada has opened the Ukrainian market for beef from cattle under 30 months (UTM) and ready-to-eat meat. This new market access marks follows the lifting of Ukraine’s ban on Canadian beef products in 2014. Canadian beef and ready-to-eat… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) has launched a new campaign encouraging all involved in the canola value chain to share “the personal and community impact of canola, benefits of increased market access and positive impact that an ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)” would have. The website — canolacountry.ca — and social media push using the hashtag… Read More