Diplomatic Relations Archives | Page 2 of 14

FCC accused of overstepping its mandate

By Ron Friesen February 15, 2013

A new report by a leading public policy think-tank accuses Farm Credit Canada and other federal financial Crown corporations of “mission creep” by offering services far beyond their original mandates. The report by the C.D. Howe Institute recommends their authority “should be clearly circumscribed and even rolled back” so private lenders can do more to

Crops, News

Europe removes agriculture barriers to U.S. trade talks

By Robin Emmott February 15, 2013

Reuters / The European Union dropped its ban on some U.S. meat imports Feb. 4 in a gesture aimed at starting talks on a free trade pact that would encompass about half the world’s economic output. Brussels and Washington want to deepen a relationship that accounts for a third of global trade, and ending the

Opinion, Our History

Our history: February 1972

February 12, 2013

As far as we can tell, this “fits in your trunk” snowmobile advertised in our Feb. 3, 1972 issue did not catch on, but stories over the next few weeks remind us that some issues never go away. On the U.S.-Canadian hog dispute front, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau had announced a deficiency payment of

Crops, Oilseeds

Iowa weed scientist wades into glyphosate controversy at Ag Days

By Daniel Winters February 6, 2013

Is glyphosate the greatest thing since sliced bread or an agronomic catastrophe waiting to happen? There’s not solid evidence for the latter, but there is some cause for concern, according to a presentation by agronomy expert Bob Hartzler at Ag Days. “Based on my experience in Iowa, where we have 22 million acres of Roundup

Crops, News

Funding for value-added food processors

By Daniel Winters January 30, 2013

The Manitoba Food Processors Association is getting $440,000 in funds to assist with commercializing new products and expand food manufacturing in Manitoba. “Here in Manitoba and across the country, the food-processing industry delivers a lot to the Canadian economy and it deserves our support,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in announcing the funding at Ag

Cereals, Crops, News

Regulations, farmer voice needed in post-CWB monopoly world

By Allan Dawson November 29, 2012

Two vocal advocates for deregulating Western Canada’s wheat marketing are now suggesting farmers need a strong voice and new regulations to protect them from the open market. While free enterprise is the best economic system, it only works when transactions are voluntary and there is true competition, Paul Earl, a former lobbyist against the Canadian

Dairy cattle, Livestock, News

Canadian dairy farms follow similar trends to main rivals

By Alex Binkley November 9, 2012

George Morris report says number of dairy farms has fallen by 90 per cent since the late 1960s and the cow herd has shrunk from 3.5 million to one million today

Canada’s dairy herd, as well as the number of farms and processors, has contracted at about the same pace as its counterparts in the U.S., Australia, and Europe, says a new report from the George Morris Centre. The main difference is that Canada hasn’t increased milk production as much as other countries have, and due

Dairy cattle, Livestock, News

U.S. poultry, dairy farmers press for access to Canadian market

By Doug Palmer October 10, 2012

Washington must fix mistakes it made in the North American Free Trade Agreement by insisting in new trade talks that Canada allow unrestricted access to its poultry and dairy markets, say American farm groups. “All we’re asking is that we have an open and free fair trade shot at the border,” Bill Roenigk of the

Cereals, Crops, International news, News

Dry Australia cuts wheat forecast

September 22, 2012

sydney / reuters / Australia has cut its forecast for wheat production in the 2012-13 crop-marketing year by about seven per cent from its previous forecast to 22.5 million tonnes. And it’s warning yields may fall further if rains don’t arrive soon in some areas. Australia had a record 29.5-million-tonne wheat harvest last year, but

News

EU to limit crop-based biofuels

By Reuters September 17, 2012

The European Union will impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, draft EU legislation seen by Reuters showed. The draft rules, which would need the approval of EU governments and lawmakers, represent a major shift in Europe’s much-criticized

Sunflower seed market falls back to Earth

Canada’s year-end cattle herd continues shrinking

U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit five-week low

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