WTO appeal body upholds ruling against COOL

WTO appeal body upholds ruling against COOL

Updated, June 29 — The U.S. government plans to comply with a new world trade ruling against its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law, which since 2008 has added hassles for would-be importers of Canadian meat and livestock. The Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday upheld a November 2011 ruling on COOL from

Asian/U.S. j.v. seeks post-CWB market share

A Southeast Asian agrifood processor and a U.S. commodity trading firm plan to pair up to stake a new claim in the deregulated Prairie grain and oilseed supply chain. Singapore-based Olam International and Kansas City’s Lansing Trade Group last week announced a new 50/50 joint venture, Lansing Olam Canada, to "originate and merchandise Canadian grains


Recovered Ontario sheep were scrapie-negative

Over two dozen sheep that vanished from a scrapie-quarantined eastern Ontario farm for about two months have all tested negative for the brain-wasting disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday confirmed it had recovered, euthanized and tested 26 of the 31 adult sheep that went missing in early April from Linda Montana Jones’ quarantined

CWB lines up handling deals with Viterra, others

Canada’s biggest grain handler and five other companies have now committed to move Prairie grain on behalf of CWB. Viterra on Thursday announced a new agreement to accept deliveries of grain that farmers commit to CWB contracts at all its locations across Western Canada. The agreement also includes port handling services, the Regina company said.


Canada asked to address ‘reality’ of food insecurity

A United Nations expert sees Canada’s "export-led" agricultural and trade policies hampering the farming sector’s ability to move to "sustainable and decentralized" food systems. Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food, wrapped up his official visit to Canada on Wednesday with a statement that credits Canadian farmers for their support



Barnmates of missing Ont. sheep negative for scrapie

A quarantined southeastern Ontario farm where 31 sheep vanished last month, just before they were to be destroyed and tested for scrapie, is now down by nine more sheep, all scrapie-negative. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed this week that it took nine sheep from Linda Montana Jones’ farm last weekend, and that the nine

Providence Grain buys western Sask. elevator

An Alberta farmer-owned grain handler has expanded its holdings into western Saskatchewan by buying an elevator it already operated on local farmers’ behalf. Providence Grain Group on Tuesday announced it has taken up 97.3 per cent of the shares in Meridian Grain Corp. for purchase through a share swap with that company’s stakeholders. The deal


Shell scrubs plans for Man. straw ethanol plant

Fuel company Shell Canada "will not pursue" its plans for a straw-based ethanol plant in southern Manitoba. Monday’s announcement from Shell was its first formal acknowledgement that it in fact had plans for such a project, though company spokesmen had openly confirmed its interest in the region through other media outlets late last year. Shell’s

Grain traffic backed to take Hudson Bay route

The move to deregulate nearly the only user of the Hudson Bay port of Churchill, Man. will come with per-tonne incentives for shippers who continue to ship grain on that route. Speaking Friday in Tisdale, Sask. to the annual meeting of the Hudson Bay Route Association, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz formally launched a five-year, $25