Canada’s red meat industry is preparing to open an advocacy office in Beijing, with the goal of increasing the presence of Canadian pork and beef in the Chinese market. The Canadian Meat Advocacy Office will be a collaboration between the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Pork Council, and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Staff at the office, which… Read More

Trade in Canada’s agriculture sectors depend not only on having reliable products to take to market, and the capacity to get them there, but also on industry advocacy and the ability to lobby the government for the needs of each sector. Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), says that their organization’s… Read More

Just ahead of both CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail locking out employees and/or unionized employees walking off the job Thursday, several industry voices are getting louder, calling on the Minister of Labour to use section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to avoid the strike entirely. “The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) and the… Read More

Negotiations on a trade deal between Canada and the UK have come to a halt with both sides unhappy about what the other is offering when it comes to market access for agricultural products. The British side has walked away from the table, citing a lack of progress in negotiations on a longer-term bilateral deal…. Read More

The U.K. received the okay from Canada to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Saturday and typically pro-trade industry groups are voicing their deep disappointment in Canada’s decision to allow it. The Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), and the CanadianPork Council (CPC) released a joint statement following… Read More

The Canadian pork industry continues to face roadblocks in rebuilding pork demand and prices, highlighted by the closure of the Olymel processing plant in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec and a HyLife plant in Minnesota. Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), says the closures don’t necessarily need to be in Canada to impact the… Read More

Olymel has announced the closure of its Vallée-Jonction, Quebec, plant, and will layoff about 1,000 people in the process. It’s expected to plant will take eight months to wind down, and staff will be offered positions at other Olymel plants. The hog slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant has wracked up nearly $400 million in losses… Read More