For those just starting their careers in agriculture, it might seem strange to think that one of the most controversial topics in the past was about whether or not farmers could sell their own wheat and barley to an end user. Just eight years ago, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) had its single desk removed…. Read More
Although there are still talks happening behind closed doors, progress of the business risk management program (BRM) review feels as though it’s slow-moving. At this year’s CropConnect conference held at Winnipeg, Man., the topic was acknowledged by federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, but there was no mention of action — which is what most are… Read More
A Conservative Member of Parliament from southern Ontario tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Tuesday that would remove the carbon tax from fuels used for drying grain and heating on farms. The private member’s bill, which would amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, was introduced by Philip Lawrence, MP for Northumberland—Peterborough South…. Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) has withdrawn its membership from national policy organization Grain Growers of Canada. GFO had only recently joined the organization in 2018, at the same time as SaskFlax and Productuers du Grains du Quebec. Markus Haerle, chair of GFO, says his organization left, in part, due to the lack of… Read More
The Canadian government has introduced legislation to implement the new trade deal between Canada, the United States, and Mexico — the last of the three countries to do so. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled Bill C-4, formally known as An Act to implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the… Read More
Although RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney had a bit of an oopsie yesterday, today is in fact Wednesday. Today on the show: RealAgriculture’s news lead, Jessika Guse with the top agriculture news of the day; Janice Gross Stein, founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs explains where Canada is headed and the challenges… Read More
Less than a day after the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture had their meeting in Ottawa, farm groups are expressing their frustration with the lack of results from the meeting. Many feel as though the group missed the mark to address key concerns after a lot of producers dealt with a brutal harvest for the… Read More
As the 43rd session of parliament opened Dec 5th, the Governor General laid out the government’s priorities going forward. This year’s throne speech was titled “Moving Forward Together,” and key priorities outlined were: fighting climate change, strengthening the middle class, walking the road of reconciliation, keeping Canadians safe and healthy, and positioning Canada for success… Read More
Members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) walked off the job Tuesday, November 19, to begin a strike protesting what the union calls unsafe working conditions. Negotiations between CN Rain and the union have been on-going for the past seven months with federal mediators being used in the past five months. The 72-hour strike… Read More
$15 billion in aid. That’s the amount the U.S. government announced on Monday for its producers through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) as compensation for lost income stemming from the country’s trade war with China. This is not the first, but the second round of aid given, as a trade agreement eludes U.S. President Trump… Read More
Today’s RealAg Radio show features: News with Guse — Jessika Guse and host Shaun Haney discuss the top ag news stories of the day Erin Gowriluk, the new executive director for the Grain Growers of Canada, chats with Haney about taking on the new role and what it’s been like Doug Lipp, renowned motivational speaker and… Read More
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has named Erin Gowriluk as its new executive director. Gowriluk will be based out of Ottawa, Ont. Gowriluk will run the day-to-day operations as well as managing advocacy and policy work. According to the GGC, Gowriluk has extensive knowledge in agriculture with a diverse background in agriculture policy. Her most recent position… Read More
In a move designed to “streamline decision making and empower the advocacy committees to build consensus and develop policy positions,” the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has revamped its structure from a president, vice-president, and executive committee to a chair, vice-chair, and board member organization. Jeff Nielsen, of the Alberta Barley Commission, was elected chair,… Read More
From the emails sent to RealAgriculture, so far farm groups have not been very supportive of the new federal carbon tax policy. The plan, released on Tuesday, indicates farmers will be exempt from the fuel tax which goes into effect April of next year. It calculates to about four cents more at the pump, and… Read More
Several provincial and national farm groups say they are disappointed with the Canadian Grain Commission’s plan for dealing with its $130 million surplus, and that it underscores the need to update the federal agency’s mandate. The surplus has accumulated through user fees charged for grain inspection and other services — costs that were ultimately passed… Read More