A CN freight train remains halted as train tracks are blocked two km away at Tyendinaga, Ont., east of Belleville, on Feb. 14, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Helgren)

Fraser: Rail blockades should be a lesson for all

Our latest so-called national crisis led to calls for police to arrest protesters and tear down blockades, but perhaps we should be thinking about how to prevent conflicts like this from happening in the first place. It’s amazing how much can change in just a few days. Canada’s Agriculture Day on Feb. 11 brought together

(StockstudioX/E+/Getty Images)

Fraser: In ag marketing, emotions need to start trumping facts

Emotional transparency 'actually goes a long way'

Go to an agricultural event and someone will inevitably point out how bad farmers are at getting their message to consumers. As annoying as it is, those comments underscore an increasingly important theme in Canadian agriculture: communication. It used to be enough to grow and market your crops, but that has changed dramatically over the


(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Industry leaders weigh in on seed royalty review

'Other markets... have already moved past this'

Syngenta’s Trevor Heck isn’t choosing a route for collecting seed royalty rates — but says the federal government needs to “move forward on some type of value capture” model. “Right now, you know, if we don’t have that within the seed industry, it’s going to be very difficult to be able to get the level

(CdnAgDay.ca)

Ottawa’s Agriculture Day gathering a sector-wide affair

Agriculture Day celebrations across Canada on Tuesday included a conference in Ottawa with roughly 500 attendees from across the ag sector. Hosted by Agriculture More than Ever, the event aimed to bring together people involved in agriculture, food and agribusiness. “We’re having a gathering to celebrate Canadian agriculture and food and the contributions that we


(4-H Canada video screengrab via YouTube)

University students backed by 4-H for leadership

Four students honoured Feb. 10 at Ottawa event

Four Canadian university students inspired in their career paths by their 4-H experiences are getting an extra boost from the organization. The annual Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (LEAD), presented Monday during the 4-H Leadership Awards event in Ottawa, aim to recognize 4-H participants who, according to the organization, “demonstrate 4-H values in the way

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Subsidy for grain dryer upgrades in Alberta draws critics

Concerns are being raised over a new program for grain drying being offered to Alberta residents. The federal and Alberta governments recently announced Alberta farmers seeking to make grain dryer improvements will have access to funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Efficient Grain Dryer Program aims to cover costs for energy efficiency improvements to


Probe eyes possibility of ‘co-ordinated behaviour’ in Big Ag

Competition Bureau probes majors' response to FBN's Canadian launch

Canada’s Competition Bureau is investigating leading agriculture companies for allegedly attempting to drive a California-based online farm-supply retailer out of the Canadian market. Documents filed in Federal Court show Federated Co-operatives, Cargill, Winfield United Canada, Univar Canada, BASF Canada Inc., Corteva and Bayer CropScience (and, by extension, Monsanto Canada) are all under investigation. Investigators with

Local husbandry and veterinary bureau workers in protective suits disinfect a pig farm as a prevention measure for African swine fever, in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, China August 22, 2018.

Federal government confident in African swine fever outbreak response

Animal Health Canada is the new body that would help form a cohesive national response

Canada’s guard against African swine fever (ASF) may be getting a new player around the table. A potential outbreak of the virus that has decimated China’s hog industry — and criticisms from some circles that Canada’s federal response to potential disease outbreaks are fragmented and disorganized — has prompted the potential formation of what is


Members of Grain Farmers of Ontario sport a banner outside a provincial cabinet minister’s office in 2015. (File photo by Ralph Pearce)

GFO quits Grain Growers of Canada

Grain Farmers of Ontario flags national group's 'governance' and structure

Grain Farmers of Ontario has dropped out of Grain Growers of Canada. The Ontario organization, which represents about 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers in the province, cited a lack of representation in the national policy group. GFO publicly announced its withdrawal in a news release on Thursday, days after it informed the

“The WTO and the rules-based system help our Canadian businesses, because they have the rules that they can depend on which helps them make the decisions... ” – Mary Ng, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister.

Canada promotes trade order

Ng quiet on U.S.-China trade deal, as fight for WTO reform continues

Canada’s Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng had little to say of the newly signed U.S.-China trade deal, claiming her office was still carefully reviewing it. Details of the first phase of the deal show China is committed to buying an additional US$40 billion to US$50 billion in agricultural products from