Customs agents in China now plan to open all containers of inbound Canadian meat and meat products and will inspect up to 100 per cent of their contents, Reuters reported Tuesday. The news agency quoted a notice from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been informed of the boost
China to ramp up inspections on all Canadian meat imports
Cash advance boost to take effect next week
Regulations permanently expanding loan limits under the federal Advance Payments Program — and temporarily boosting interest-free advances for canola growers — are in place for applications to begin next Monday at the earliest. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Monday amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Regulations are now in place to boost the APP loan
B.C. bovine TB outbreak’s trace-out completed
All cattle that moved away from a British Columbia farm where four animals were found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis (TB) have been tracked down and tested. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Tuesday it has completed its “trace-out” investigation stemming from last fall’s discovery of a TB-positive beef cow from a farm in
Parmalat’s play for Kraft cheeses clears regulators
Dairy giant Parmalat’s proposed $1.62 billion deal for Kraft Heinz’s “natural” cheese business in Canada has cleared federal antitrust regulators. The federal Competition Bureau on Thursday said it issued a “no action letter” to the two companies and would put up a position statement detailing its reasons in the “coming days.” The deal is expected
Mandatory Saskatchewan farm trucker training planned
The training exemption offered in Saskatchewan for semi truck drivers in agriculture operations is now set to be phased out within two years, the province said Wednesday. The provincial government in late 2018 announced it will require a minimum of 121.5 hours of training before a driver can obtain a Class 1 commercial driver’s licence,
Canada’s realized net farm income way down in 2018
Stagnant farm cash receipts against significant increases in feed, fuel and interest costs have led to Canada’s biggest decline in realized net farm income in over a decade. That’s according to Statistics Canada, which on Tuesday released full-year farm income data for 2018, pegging realized net farm income for the year at $3.9 billion, down
Federal ‘Product of Canada’ food guidelines under review
Food processors wanting to make “Product of Canada” or “Made in Canada” label claims for their wares might not have to be as strict on their use of Canadian ingredients, under proposed changes to labelling guidelines. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced public consultations and a public comment period, to run until June
Canada, U.S. plan trade zones for whenever swine fever hits
Federal officials in Canada and the U.S. have agreed on zone defense, so to speak, to allow safe trade of hogs and pork products if African swine fever should turn up in hogs in either country. Canada’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Jaspinder Komal and U.S. CVO Dr. Jack Shere said Wednesday the two countries have
Federated Co-op buying Saskatchewan ethanol plant
Federated Co-operatives is set to lock in an ethanol supply for its member co-ops’ gas stations with a deal for a major Saskatchewan wheat ethanol producer. FCL announced Wednesday it will buy the Terra Grain Fuels ethanol plant in the RM of Pense near Belle Plaine, about 25 km east of Moose Jaw, for an
Japan now accepting Canadian OTM beef
The last of Japan’s BSE-related restrictions on Canadian beef are lifted as of last Friday, with the Japanese government’s agreement to allow beef from Canadian cattle over 30 months of age (OTMs). Citing industry estimates, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said the added access announced Tuesday could mean an increase of up to 20 per cent
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