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Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains at a March 23 news conference as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
News

Bibeau defends COVID-19 response for agriculture

Canada’s agriculture and agri-food minister says FCC boost and advance repayment deferrals will help with cash flow for farmers

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The government’s boost to Farm Credit Canada’s lending capacity and delaying repayment of cash advances is aimed at addressing immediate agriculture sector cash flow concerns — but there’s more to come. That was the word this week from federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. FCC is getting a $5-billion boost to its lending
News

Cash advance interest rates expected to go lower yet

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Cash advance interest rates could soon fall again. March 27 the Bank of Canada cut its lending rate, which affects what commercial lenders charge, by 0.05 per cent to 0.25. At press time lenders had not lowered their rates, but were expected to. If CIBC cuts its prime rate to 2.45 per cent from the
News

Coronavirus pain muted for ag

Farmers hurting more from past problems than COVID-19 so far

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COVID-19 may hurt Canadian farmers in the future, but for most commodities, other than cattle, there hasn’t been a huge impact, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. “Actually the food sector might be one of those that will be the least impacted because we will keep eating during the crisis so I don’t see
Crops, Markets

Canola dockage agreement with China expires, but limited exports to continue

Most remaining shipments meet Beijing's requirement

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Exports of Canadian canola seed exports to China will continue, at the same reduced pace seen since March last year — but only if it contains less than one per cent dockage. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries allowing higher dockage ends Tuesday (March 31), a Canadian government official said in an
Markets

Ottawa expected to ‘officially’ declare ag an essential service

The Western Grain Elevator Association says that designation will clarify things and help to keep grain moving

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Canada’s grain industry expects the federal government will soon officially declare agriculture an essential service. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), says that designation will have a practical application. “Hopefully it ends all confusion about grain workers at elevators, railway workers and anybody else required for moving grain, as to

‘Essential’ travel rule fuzzy on farmers picking up parts, inputs

U.S. border officers will have final say on Canadian farmers' cross-border business trips

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Whether Canadian farmers can continue to pick up machinery parts and other products for their operations in the United States is at the discretion of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. At 11:59 p.m. ET Friday, Canada and the U.S. temporarily restricted non-essential travel between the two nations to try and slow the spread of
“This is not in the interests of Canadian farmers, thus contrary to the CGC mandate,” says the NFU.
News

CUSMA grain act changes stir controversy

The NFU says the amendments should be on hold until the public can weigh in on the grain act review

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Changes are coming to the Canada Grain Act to comply with NAFTA 2.0 — and that’s sparking concern in some quarters. Stewart Wells, former National Farmers Union president and current second vice-president of the group, says the proposed legislation (Bill C-4) inserts unnecessary clauses, and is being rushed through just weeks before planned public consultations
The Canada, U.S. border crossing in Emerson, Man.
News

Canada, U.S. aim for border balancing act

COVID-19 shuts down non-essential traffic between Canada and the U.S. but not trade

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Farmers on both sides of the Canada-United States border still have access to their best market — each other. That’s despite a two-way temporary ban on non-essential travel to slow the spread of COVID-19, which was expected to be implemented by March 20. In 2018 Canada was the U.S.’s largest agricultural export customer purchasing $25
News

Grain elevator companies set COVID-19 protocols

Goal is to keep people safe and grain flowing

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If there ever was a sector that could operate during a pandemic, it’s grain. The Prairies are famous for wide open spaces, so with some planning and forethought farmers, truckers, grain companies, railways and terminal operators can keep moving Canadian grain to market, safely, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “We don’t anticipate any issues to be
News

Grain keeps moving despite virus

COVID-19: For now the coronavirus hasn’t affected the supply chain

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As Canadians increasingly hunker down at home hoping to slow the spread of COVID-19, Prairie grains and oilseeds continue to move from farms to markets, at home, to export terminals and the United States. “Our members are going to do their best to keep the supply chain moving,” Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western

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AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending April 3, 2020.

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