Hemp Archives | Manitoba Co-operator

Cannabis-infused drinks fizzle on production, distribution challenges

'Actually executing the idea is much more difficult'

Reuters — Investors pinning hopes on cannabis-infused drinks to propel growth of the legal marijuana industry may have to wait a bit longer, as companies struggle to produce and distribute the highly-sought beverages in a profitable way. Nearly 11 months after regulators allowed their sales, very few brands have been able to reach shelves. Canada

Feds seek feedback on farm worker living conditions

Consultations focused on 'primary agriculture' labour stream of TFWs

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News 2 days ago

Improving and standardizing living conditions for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada — specifically, those on Canadian farms — is the subject of a new round of federal consultations. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Tuesday announced consultations are now underway until Dec. 22 with “provinces and territories, employers, workers, worker

More farmers expected to benefit from new CEBA eligibility expansion

Businesses operating via personal accounts to now be eligible

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News 3 days ago

The latest tweak to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) pandemic aid program is expected to allow farmers who run their business via personal bank accounts to seek CEBA loans. Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Monday that “as early as” Oct. 26, CEBA will be available to businesses which until now have been operating

Four Quebec farm programs’ payments to roll early

FADQ to pay out $9.1 million on four programs on Nov. 1

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News October 22, 2020

Four provincial farm development programs in Quebec are to pay out to over 5,000 farm businesses a month ahead of schedule. La Financiere agricole du Quebec (FADQ), the provincial ag lending agency, announced Wednesday it will pay out about $9.1 million to businesses participating in the four programs effective Nov. 1. FADQ noted it made

Markets

BMO regroups ag banking business

Ag-focused national banking team put in place

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News October 20, 2020

With COVID-19 serving to “accelerate” changes in the industry, BMO Bank of Montreal says it has reset its farm banking work under the oversight of an expanded national agriculture and agribusiness banking team. BMO announced the new team approach Oct. 14, describing it as “a national team of agriculture banking specialists — team members with

Crops

Second Seeds Canada merger vote to proceed sans CSGA

Seed Growers membership had voted against amalgamation deal

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News October 7, 2020

A proposal to combine Canada’s seed industry groups into a single organization, to be dubbed Seeds Canada, will be subject to a new vote, this time with one less group on board. The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA); Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC) and Canadian Seed Institute announced

Federal program to protect farms, workers from COVID-19 underway

'Highest-risk' farming operations to get priority, Bibeau says

By D.C. Fraser, GFM Network News October 5, 2020

Applications are now open for a federally-administered $35 million emergency on-farm support fund to help limit the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and on-farm workers. Aimed at farm workplaces and employee living quarters, the fund is being managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), but cost-shared with participating producers at a 50-50 level. Money is

Cannabis grower Steve Dillon tends to his plants on his farm in Humboldt County, California, Aug. 28, 2016.

News

‘Green rush’: Cannabis boom squeezing farmland in North America

Legalization and decriminalization have led to greater demand for places to produce the drug

By Carey L. Biron September 30, 2020

Thomson Reuters Foundation – While the coronavirus pandemic has caused the collapse of retail businesses across the globe, there is one thing people have been buying more of during months of lockdown: marijuana. The legal cannabis industry set sales records across the United States and Canada over the past six months, according to cannabis analytics

Markets

Feds pondering more self-reliance in Canada’s food

'Even if we are already in a good position, we can always do better,' Bibeau says

By D.C. Fraser, GFM Network News September 28, 2020

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is looking for ways to make Canada’s food supply more autonomous. In an interview Thursday, Bibeau pointed to her minority Liberal government’s pledge in the throne speech to further support the food value chain. That could mean a review of food infrastructure across the country, according to Bibeau. Specifics aren’t yet

Crops

Canadian cannabis retailers poised to merge

High Tide, Meta Growth to create biggest weed retailer

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News August 22, 2020

Two major Canadian cannabis sellers are poised to create the largest pot retailer in the country by revenue. Calgary retailer High Tide Inc., which operates the Canna Cabana chain of stores in three provinces, announced a merger deal Friday to take up Toronto-based Meta Growth Corp., which runs the Meta Cannabis and NewLeaf Cannabis chains.

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat hit two-week lows on COVID-19 fears

U.S. lifts federal protections for gray wolf

Feed weekly outlook: Prices plateauing

GFM Network News