Fourteen of Ontario’s agriculture organizations are collectively asking the provincial government to pause forward momentum of the proposed Bill 97 and the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement. “We stand in strong opposition to the 3 lot severances per farm parcel proposed in prime agricultural areas as well as other measures that weaken local farmland protection. We… Read More

Tucked into the Ontario Progressive Conservatives’ Bill 97 is a proposed change to severance allowances of farmland that the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) says could make siting of livestock farms much more difficulty. What’s more, the bill carves out increased power for Ministerial Zoning Orders in the name of housing; however, Peggy Brekveld, president… Read More

The University of Guelph’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) within the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) has announced a $1-million research chair. The Arrell Family Chair in Behavioural and Experimental Economics will support students and seed projects and enable the hiring of a lab manager for a growing research lab. The new chair will… Read More

Merit Functional Foods has entered receivership while owing approximately $95 million to its two main creditors — Export Development Canada (EDC) and Farm Credit Canada (FCC), according to court documents. A judge on Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench appointed PwC as the receiver for the Winnipeg-based plant protein processing company on March 1. According to… Read More

Update: Merit Functional Foods was placed in receivership on March 1. Read more here. Creditors for Merit Functional Foods are asking the Court of King’s Bench in Manitoba to appoint a receiver for the plant protein processing company. Export Development Canada and Farm Credit Canada have filed an application for the appointment of a receiver,… Read More

Rising costs and inflation are a hot topic right now, but what are the overall trends being seen in consumer choices in the long term? Heather Thomson is the executive director at the Alberta School of Business Centre for Cities and Communities and she spoke at the Ag Awareness Summit at Saskatoon last week. Thomson… Read More

Agriculture in the Classroom works to give kids an opportunity to learn about food production. An annual part of that goal is agriculture literacy month, celebrated each March. Chandra Gusikoski, communications coordinator for Agriculture in the Classroom, spoke at the Ag Awareness Summit last week at Saskatoon. RealAg’s Atley Hamlin asked Gusikoski about agriculture literacy… Read More

The federal government has committed another $150 million to Protein Industries Canada over the next five years, as the original funding for the innovation cluster expired last year. The protein initiative is one of five clusters receiving funding as part of the $750 million Global Innovation Cluster program that was announced in the 2022 budget… Read More

Changes are coming to the top of the civil service within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that Chris Forbes, a veteran in federal agriculture policy circles, having served as deputy minister of the agriculture department since 2017, will be moving to… Read More

Canola is a Canadian-made and developed, home-grown crop. With canola oil being grown and produced locally, why is this resource no more widely discussed and utilized? Lynn Weaver, a registered dietitian and the market development manager at SaskCanola, spoke with RealAg’s Atley Hamlin about the nutritional and culinary benefits of canola when compared to other… Read More

For months since the North American Lamb Company (NALCO) announced it had gone into receivership, it’s been unclear as to who would take over the Alberta assets of the company, including a large feedlot and processing facility at Picture Butte. Finally public, the majority of the Alberta assets of NALCO have been acquired by Préval AG,… Read More

Agriculture ministers from across Canada met virtually on Friday to discuss and receive updates on several agriculture-related files that they’re following, including progress on a national grocery code of conduct and the implementation of the new five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) that’s set to take effect April 1, 2023. “We would like to commend… Read More

 

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