row of cows being milked

Editorial: Farmer support complex issue

A recent call from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for more support for farmers affected by trade issues raises some interesting questions. The CFA was responding to the announcement of $1.7 billion in direct payments to dairy producers over eight years, compensation for opening a portion of the dairy market to international competition under a



Mary Robinson. (Foodintegrity.ca)

CFA elects new chief

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has elected its first-ever female president in a changing of the guard at its latest annual meeting. Mary Robinson, past-president of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture, was elected president Wednesday at the CFA’s AGM in Ottawa. She replaces Ron Bonnett, the organization’s president since 2010. Keith Currie, president

(Video screengrab from BJordan.liberal.ca)

Rural development strategy sought in federal shuffle

Rural economic development has been given a promotion at the federal level in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest cabinet shuffle. In the shuffle, following the departure of Treasury Board president Scott Brison from cabinet, Trudeau on Monday called up Bernadette Jordan, MP for the southern Nova Scotia riding of South Shore-St.Margaret’s, to head a newly




Tax return storage at the Canada Revenue Agency. (Canada.ca)

Ottawa scraps plans for new limits on capital gains

The federal finance ministry has backed away from proposed plans for new limits on capital gains exemptions, over concerns of “unintended consequences” for businesses such as farms. Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Thursday announced the federal government “will not be moving forward with measures that would limit access to the LCGE (lifetime capital gains exemption),”



(Staff photo)

Federal food policy consultations underway

The long-discussed-and-debated notion of a public pan-Canadian food policy has taken a move forward with a new online survey from the federal government. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Monday announced an initial round of consultations and called on the public to “share their input to help shape a food policy that will cover the entire

(CBSA via YouTube)

Duration limit lifted from foreign worker program

Canadian farm groups are among the sectors hailing Ottawa’s decision to axe the cumulative duration rule, or “four-in, four-out” policy, which stood to sideline temporary foreign workers from the Canadian market. The federal government announced last Tuesday (Dec. 13) it would lift the restriction, effective immediately. The cumulative duration rule had been in place in