Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled a 39-person cabinet for the next parliament. There are some new faces, but plenty of familiar ones as well, including Marie-Claude Bibeau, who returns as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), says she’s pleased with the news of Minister Bibeau’s… Read More
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) have both made contributions to the Hay West 2021 initiative to help cover shipping costs to send hay to drought-stricken farmers in the Prairie provinces. The 2021 Hay West initiative, organized by Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), is moving hay from eastern Canada to the… Read More
Those in Western Canada looking for hay and those in other areas willing to supply hay for the Hay West 2021 initiative can now access a web portal to connect. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has launched HayWest2021.net where individuals and businesses can enter the pertinent details of their situation and await word. The program… Read More
Next week, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture will host four political party leaders for a pre-election debate. Representatives from the Bloc Quebecois, Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, and the New Democratic Party will join moderators Shaun Haney and Martin Ménard for a one-hour question period tackling the top agriculture issues and… Read More
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has put forward its priority list for the upcoming federal election. There are a few unique items on the list, though some items are in common with other platforms, including the push for more funding for the next policy framework. With only a 35-day election campaign, there’s not a… Read More
Drought in Western Canada is causing dire hay shortages, and a familiar program is popping up in the hopes of Eastern Canada helping counterpart livestock producers in the west once again. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has announced it has begun work to facilitate a Hay West initiative to send surplus hay from farmers… Read More
The federal government’s Ministry of Finance says it is delaying implementation of Bill C-208 until January 1, 2022, potentially with amendments. However, Canadian law states that a bill goes into effect immediately after receiving Royal Assent, which the bill did on June 29, 2021, unless some other date is stipulated in the bill. Bill C-208… Read More
A private member’s bill designed to level the tax burden when selling an incorporated small business to a family member versus selling to a non-family member received final approval from the Senate on Tuesday, clearing the path for Bill C-208 to become law. The bill, brought forward by Manitoba MP Larry Maguire, addresses the issue… Read More
Today’s RealAg LIVE! episode is exciting, as we bring to you a budget special. It’s our first federal budget in two years, so co-hosts Shaun Haney and Kelvin Heppner figured we were overdue for a special. The budget is 739 pages long, and as Haney notes, it looked like a Ken Follet novel as it… Read More
Imagine trying to gain consensus on policy issues across all Canadian commodity groups and geographies. That’s Mary Robinson’s job as president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and she’s heading into her second, two-year term after being acclaimed to the role last month. As if the role isn’t challenging enough, Robinson has been leading the… Read More
At first glance, it appeared that seasonal and temporary foreign workers coming to Canada would flow relatively unimpeded, save for the pre-flight COVID-19 test. However, last week’s federal announcement of more stringent quarantine measures and additional costs is possibly a new stumbling block, in the path to getting thousands of people here to work on… Read More
We’ve now seen two deadlines for changes to AgriStability; one near the end of last year, and a public deadline that was set for the end of January for provinces to either agree or acknowledge that they were considering the proposal. Both deadlines have come and gone, which begs the question: where are we at… Read More
From business risk management fatigue, to the carbon tax, to adapting to changing labour demands, there’s plenty to cover regarding Canadian policy right now. It may be February, but horticulture farms and businesses are trying hard to navigate ever-changing COVID-19 travel rules in an effort to bring employees to Canada. Plus, not one but two… Read More
In the food business, there is likely no more ruthless arena than the grocery store. A recent move by Walmart to impose new costs on suppliers has prompted a group of food and beverage organizations to call on the federal government to step in and regulate the grocery industry. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Dairy… Read More
In this RealAg LIVE! episode with Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Mary joins host Shaun Haney to discuss agricultural policy issues including temporary foreign workers, business risk management programs, and engaging with youth and minorities. Check out the video below, or scroll down to read the summary! Tune in Thursday,… Read More