Canadian farmers have been making plans for the 2024 season assuming that the interest-free portion of the Advanced Payments Program would revert back to the pre-2022 level of $100,000. As of today, however, farmers will have access to the first $250,000 interest-free, following an announcement by Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The Advance… Read More

When it comes to Canadian agriculture, criticism towards federal policies and their broader implications is not uncommon. Farmers’ list of grievances reflect legitimate concerns over how this federal government’s bent will shape the sector’s future. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between warranted critique and misplaced outrage. A recent social media post from Agriculture Minister Lawrence… Read More

First announced as the host city in June 2023, the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) in Manila was officially opened this week by Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay. The Indo-Pacific region is a key one for Canadian farmers, producers, and the agri-food sector, with Canada’s agriculture and agri-food exports to the region totalling $22.8… Read More

If a report is quietly published on a government website on the Friday before the New Year’s weekend and no one is told about it, is anyone supposed to read it or respond to it? Because that’s what happened with the federal government’s “What We Heard” report after holding consultations a year ago on its… Read More

The federal government has extended Doug Chorney’s appointment as the chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. Chorney’s three-year term was to expire in December, but the Governor-in-Council has extended it to April 30, 2024. Chorney, who farms at East Selkirk, Man., has agreed to continue in the role until then. The government sought applications… Read More

Saskatchewan is joining other provinces in offering AgriRecovery support to beekeepers who suffered suffered high colony losses in 2022. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his Saskatchewan counterpart, David Marit, announced the launch of a $1 million AgriRecovery program for beekeepers in the province on Tuesday. Saskatchewan joins Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario in providing disaster… Read More

A dispute panel convened to settle U.S. concerns over how Canada handled its dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA) has ruled that Canada is not obligated to make further changes, following an earlier ruling in December 2021 that Canada’s handling of TRQs was “inconsistent” with the trade deal. The ruling, made… Read More

Federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lawrence MacAulay, was at the Bruce Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre at Glenlea, Man. today to announce up to $9 million for the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) to administer the canola research cluster under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership — the five-year ag policy framework… Read More