No one loves red tape, but rules and regulations are necessary. That said, rules and regulations should evolve alongside the advancement of an industry to best meet the needs, demands, and challenges of the value chain. The Canadian Grain Commission is working at doing exactly that, says chief commissioner, Patti Miller. Just over a year... Read More
Category: Agriculture Policy
While grain companies are investing in major upgrades to port facilities in Vancouver, the growing number of ships waiting on the West Coast shows it has been a challenge getting grain to those facilities this winter. Virtually all of the grain terminals in Vancouver are seeing expansion or new construction, to some degree, says Doug... Read More
Accountants and business owners concerned about how Ottawa was going to treat passive income received a somewhat pleasant surprise in the 2018 federal budget. After backpedaling on several major planks of their controversial proposal to change how small businesses are taxed last fall, the Liberals finally shared details on how passive investment income will be... Read More
Editor's note: This story has been updated with quotes from CN Rail's interim CEO. The federal transport and agriculture ministers sent a letter to the chief executives for Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) on Tuesday expressing concern over problems with rail service. "We are writing regarding our concerns with respect to... Read More
Time away from the farm is important for so many reasons, even if it can be a challenge to make it work. Whether it's continuing your education, getting some much needed downtime, or speaking up for changes to your sector, there's a whole other world away from the farm that can offer real value back,... Read More
A trade deficit is defined as the amount by which the value of a country's imports exceeds the value of its exports. It's a metric that U.S. President Donald Trump frequently refers to when explaining or tweeting about his positions on trade, whether referring to NAFTA, China, or the new tariffs on steel and aluminum.... Read More
Canada is internationally know for its clean water, Rocky Mountains, and endless prairie skies. Our agricultural groups use this "clean and pristine" currency to their benefit whenever they are selling our wares overseas, but does a blue sky and waving grain really sell more crops? More than that, can we quantify Canada's record on soil,... Read More
With NAFTA negotiations underway, talk of new tariffs, and the relationship between Canada and the U.S. at a critical juncture in its history, the U.S. capital was an appropriate setting for the Western Canadian Wheat Growers' 48th annual convention this week. The current trade and transportation issues, which are tied together in driving the export-based... Read More
Just this week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released the Trump Administration's Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report, saying "We are already seeing the results of President Trump’s agenda pay off for American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses." But not every American would agree with that statement, and some farm grower organizations are anxious to... Read More
As the volume of grain backed up on farms in Western Canada grows, proposed transportation legislation that could help grain shippers address poor rail service remains stalled in the Senate. As it's written right now, Bill C-49 — originally introduced in the House of Commons last spring — would give grain shippers the right to... Read More