Supply management compensation plan rumours dismissed by Ritz

Supply management compensation plan rumours dismissed by Ritz

News reports suggest the federal government may yield to outside pressure 
to grant increased access to Canadian markets

A front page Globe and Mail article claiming the federal government is planning a compensation scheme for supply management farmers “is pure speculation,” says Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. The newspaper said the compensation would be intended to blunt the impact on supply management from Canada joining the Trans-Pacific Pact. Speculation about a TPP deal this

In 2014, nearly one million Manitoba acres were too wet to seed and thousands of acres of crop were damaged by too much moisture.

Risk management review task force seeks farmer input

It’s looking for ideas to mitigate the impact of increasing severe weather on producers

Everybody complains about the weather, the old saying goes, but nobody does anything about it. Well, Manitoba’s Agriculture Risk Management Review Task Force can’t fix the weather, but it wants to hear Manitoba farmers’ ideas for mitigating its impact. “We’re hoping there will be some real thinking out of the box by people on the


A terminal at the Port of Vancouver

Desire for grain price control drives G3 port plans

More port capacity will allow grain companies to widen their margins

G3 has announced it may build a new grain terminal at the West Lynn terminal on the North Shore of Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. G3 is the joint venture of U.S.-based multinational grain company, Bunge Ltd., and the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC), owned by the Saudi government. It was given the assets of

U.S. Senate building

Progress on COOL, but Canada still threatening retaliation

U.S. Senate and Obama administration need to act quickly, warns Agriculture Minister Ritz

While the House of Representatives has voted strongly to repeal the country-of-origin labelling program, the Senate and the Obama administration need to act quickly as well, warns Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Otherwise Canada along with Mexico will be putting their case for retaliatory duties to a special meeting of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement


Canadian agricultural minister Gerry Ritz

Canada ups the ante in COOL dispute

Canada is seeking more than $3 billion in tariffs

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is warning Canada will play hardball with American politicians who block legislation to scrap the U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) program on beef and pork imports. Canada formally asked the World Trade Organization June 4 to approve slightly more than $3 billion a year in retaliatory tariffs on American food and consumer

vintage newspaper article

Many prizes up for grabs in “Rapeyield 30” contest

Our History: June 1976

In 1976 Elanco sponsored the Rapeyield 30 contest to encourage producers to use Treflan and shoot for a 30-bushel rapeseed yield and win watches, shotguns and a trip to Japan. The previous five-year average yield in Manitoba was 18.3 bushels. Farmers trying for that high yield would be challenged by flea beetles — we reported


farmer combining wheat

U.S. wheat industry alleges Canada discriminates

U.S. Wheat Associates says Canada’s grading system is like COOL in reverse

The United States’ wheat lobby is glad to be rid of Canada’s single-desk wheat seller; now it wants better access to Canadian wheat markets. U.S. Wheat Associates sent a letter to Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz May 20 saying Canadian wheat grading and varietal registration regulations unfairly discriminate against U.S. imports. “It is readily apparent to

two petri dishes of grain samples

Infrared technology identifies and removes fusarium-infected grain

Technology coming to Winnipeg feed mill will also provide the building blocks for a new biomass fuel

A Winnipeg feed mill is about to become the first in North America to install infrared grain-sorting technology in a commercial facility. Thanks in part to $1.1 million in funding from Growing Forward 2, Standard Nutrition Canada will integrate two BoMills into its St. Boniface facility over the next four months. The main allure of


meat counter in a grocery store

Pressure mounts for changes to country-of-origin labelling

WTO ruling sets the stage for U.S. repeal of COOL

The United States has three months to repeal its country-of-origin labelling program on beef and pork imports before Canada and Mexico will proceed with billions of dollars’ worth of retaliatory tariffs on American goods. In the wake of the World Trade Organization’s final decision May 18 that COOL violates international trade rules, the House of

egg flats

Trade talks set to divide farm communities

Some groups want a trade deal even if it means sacrificing supply management

High-level negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) scheduled for Guam this month have opened a rift in Canada’s farm community that successive governments have tried to prevent. Livestock and grain groups have gone public with a demand the federal government fully engage in the talks and, while they don’t actually say it, essentially be prepared