It was great news this week that, following negotiations between Canada and China, canola producers and exporters here will have a shot at expanded access to the Chinese market. But to me, it was even more noteworthy that science, not politics, helped open the door. Science is constantly maligned in agriculture, particularly when product safety… Read More
Category: Trade
If you cannot seee the above embedded audio player, Click Here This morning I talked to Martin Unrau, President of the Canadian Cattlemans Association about his recent trip to Washington, DC to lobby for the repeal of the US mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) legislation. As Martin Unrau mentions in the interview, groups like the… Read More
What does Canada’s participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership really mean to supply management? Will Canada give up some or all of the supply management pillars in the face of trade opportunities for other agricultural products? While there are no clear cut answers as of yet, TPP negotiations are most certainly a topic of interest… Read More
The discussion around proposed changes to the check-off funded associations in Western Canada is growing significantly. No, not everyone is on-side with the idea — many grower group members feel they best serve the commodity’s interest individually, and are opposed to joining ranks across provinces and especially not nationally. Danny Penner is one of those,… Read More
Canada is no longer an Atlantic nation, it is a Pacific nation, and we’re all better off if we keep that in mind when it comes to trade, policy and politics. That’s according to John Ibbitson, Globe & Mail Ottawa bureau chief, and guest speaker at last week’s Canola Council of Canada convention held at… Read More
Once again Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz took to the stage at the FarmTech conference to talk to a packed house about the state of agriculture in Canada. This year saw the Minister announce details on two federal Growing Forward 2 programs as well as address a number of other topics including the lay of… Read More
China has approved four additional Canadian beef facilities that will now be able to export beef to China, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast announced today. The newly approved establishments will increase the Canadian export capacity for beef in a market estimated by the industry to be worth approximately $20 million… Read More
Last week, the federal government announced three new Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-based programs under the Growing Forward 2 banner — AgriInnovation, AgriMarketing and AgriCompetitiveness. While the press release outlines some details about the programs, the supplied information was a little light. RealAgriculture.com asked AAFC for further details. Below is the Q and A exchange (unedited)…. Read More
The Liberal Party of Canada is in the middle of choosing a new leader. While the vast majority of attention has been lavished on a raven-haired prime minister’s son, Martha Hall Findlay has been the first (and perhaps only) candidate to bring any part of an agriculture platform into the race. RealAgriculture.com’s editor, Lyndsey Smith,… Read More
According to the Canola Council of Canada’s press release, president Patti Miller has urged the Standing Committee on Finance to “sustain the momentum of Canada’s canola industry by supporting strategic investments and policy direction in three priority areas – research, market development and market access.” Her comments are in regards to up-coming potential changes to… Read More
Canada has officially been asked to join the Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade group of now 11 countries representing 658 million people. Trade deals have been a major focus of Stephen Harper’s government, but as of yet a major trade deal had alluded him. This TPP invitation, then, is a very big deal. Joining the… Read More
As important as the domestic beef market is, the success of Canada’s beef industry depends on exports. That means a continued focus on growing current export markets and looking elsewhere for new opportunities to market our beef. It’s those relationships that will be responsible for growing the industry. SEE MORE ILC 2012 COVERAGE. Robert Meijer… Read More
Only days ago it was Canada Day; a day to celebrate our country and embrace all things Canadian. Some think of poutine, but I, and the thousands of other dairy and poultry farms, celebrate our truly Canadian supply management system. It’s how I feed my family, how I feed my country and how I help… Read More
This week the George Morris Center released a paper, which discusses the TPP negotiations and the potential impact on supply management. Al Mussell is the author of the report and he strongly believes that the TPP / supply management discussion is not an all or none scenario. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT Al Mussell believes that Canadian trade negotiators can… Read More
At Canada’s Farm Progress Show today, I asked Gerry Ritz about Canada’s involvement in the TPP negotiations and how it might impact the supply management in Canada of poultry, dairy and eggs. If you cannot see the above embedded audio player, click here