Farm leaders welcome high-profile panel’s praise

The leaders of farm organizations across the sector are basking in the praise of a high-profile federal advisory board. The Advisory Council on Economic Growth accorded the sector high profile in a recent report on Canada’s economic prospects. The report’s recognition of the agri-food sector should be especially valuable in raising its profile across the[...]

Government support for Canadian farms well below global average

Canada remains the perennial Boy Scout of international agriculture policy. Canadian farmers receive less government support than producers in many other countries, according to the latest report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, the organization remains critical of supply management in the dairy and poultry sector. With the introduction of business risk[...]


Organic food industry feels shortchanged by government

Canada’s organic sector says it’s not getting its due. Canada is the fifth-largest organic market in the world as well as leading exporter of several organic commodities but gets little assistance from government, says Tia Loftsgard, executive director of Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA). “Canada’s organic sector should be positioning itself as a world leader,”[...]

Lots of talk, few actions at ag ministers meeting

The annual meeting of Canadian agriculture ministers concluded with lots of talk — but no immediate changes along the lines recommended by a coalition of farm organizations. The ministers’ closing statement said they discussed trade disputes, support for dairy and poultry producers, labour shortages, fixing business risk management programs and preventing African Swine Fever from[...]


AAFC unveils extreme weather tracker

Agriculture Canada has unveiled a new online weather watching tool that will enable farmers to better track extreme weather conditions during the agricultural growing season. Called ‘Extreme Weather Indices,’ the tool was developed in collaboration with Environment Canada’s weather service and should help farmers plan their planting and harvesting operations. Like weather forecasts, the indices[...]

Farmers call for action from Ottawa on grain transportation

The federal government needs an immediate action plan to restore adequate grain transportation and ensure Prairie producers have the funds to plant the 2018 crop, farm leaders said March 1. Alarmed by Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s lack of awareness about the gravity of the grain transportation delays when he spoke to the annual meeting of[...]


No end in sight for supply management working groups

Talks on how supply-managed commodities can adjust to expanded import access to Canada under recent trade deals are proceeding slowly but industry isn’t worried just yet. Back on Oct. 29, the federal government announced Agriculture Canada would create three working groups to help the dairy and poultry sectors. By early February there had been a handful[...]

Shippers squabble over grain transportation issues

Infighting is at risk of derailing a grand coalition of shippers that resulted in a shipper-friendly transportation modernization bill known as C-49. While seven industry associations have stuck to script and asked Transport Minister Marc Garneau to make two key amendments to the government’s transportation modernization bill, those proposals were overshadowed by shots at the[...]


Farm income: a dip and now holding

Final figures aren’t available yet but all signs suggest farm income in 2018 was clipped by several factors and will likely stay at that level through this year, says J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist with Farm Credit Canada. “Price volatility, higher input costs and weather-related challenges in many parts of the country over the past[...]

Conservatives want action on the lingering canola crisis

It’s time for government action on the canola file, according to the leader of the opposition. Canada needs an ambassador in Beijing and should immediately increase the funds available to farmers under the Advance Payments Program (APP), says Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. More than a month has passed since China banned imports of canola seed[...]