Bill Morneau's proposal on federal tax reform has been a "communications disaster."

Comment: Death, taxes, and food

Getting taxation right for the agriculture and food sectors will require something other than one-size-fits-all thinking

Up until recently there were two things certain in life: death and taxes. We can now add a third one: Botching the promotion of a tax reform for political gains. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s tax reform has been a communication disaster. Various claims made about Ottawa’s intentions to revamp our tax system for small corporations

Farmer in wheat field

Opinion: Proposed tax changes for corporations poorly structured

The current proposals will stifle business and create unfairness

In July the prime minister of Canada and the federal finance minister introduced proposals that, if enacted, will fundamentally change how small business in Canada operates. Since that unveiling of proposals, debate on the merits of each point has been impassioned. Debate has since polarized along ideological dogma. Canadian society must decide where they wish


Editorial: Sweating the details

As the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement was negotiated over the last few years, it’s been touted as a game-changing deal that opens up a potentially massive market. That may well be, but it would appear for most agricultural commodities, that’s going to be an ‘easier-said-than-done’ scenario, at least for the foreseeable future. Ottawa has made much

Demonstrators pull a wooden model of the Trojan Horse during a protest against the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) in front of the Parliament in Vienna, Austria on the eve of the deal coming into provisional effect.

CETA takes effect as ag frets details

Significant barriers remain to any real progress in accessing 
the European market for food products

With a flurry of press releases and a ceremony at the Port of Montreal, a new chapter in Canada’s economic history has begun to unfold as Canada’s trade deal with Europe came into effect. The Canada-Europe Trade Agreement (CETA) took provisional effect Sept. 21, even as the third round of the NAFTA renegotiations kicked off



Four wooden spoons with dried peas and lentils

Give peas a chance

If we do, they’ll grow the western economy

The Canadian Prairies are well known for being global leaders in pulse production and exports, but we didn’t get here by being complacent. We are now in the midst of an opportunity to become the premier region for pulse fractionation, a relatively new processing technology that breaks pulses into protein, starch and fibre fractions for


First NAFTA renegotiating session concludes in a swirl of rumours

First NAFTA renegotiating session concludes in a swirl of rumours

There was little concrete coming out of the first round of bargaining

The first round of NAFTA renegotiations has produced a guarded statement from the three countries and a swirl of rumours about what was discussed and what might emerge in the coming weeks. Held in Washington in mid-August, the meetings saw trade representatives from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. reopen the trade pact for the first

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay speaks during an event at the University of Manitoba.

Dairy issue to be contentious

As the first round of NAFTA talks wraps up, government reaffirms commitment to supply management

Canada’s minister of agriculture says concessions in non-supply-managed commodities will not be offered up to U.S. negotiators as a way to ensure the security of Canada’s dairy industry during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. “I’ve never heard that said except in the media,” said Minister Lawrence MacAulay, following an announcement at


Strong loonie not major threat: FCC economist

Strong loonie not major threat: FCC economist

Canada still competitive with an 80-cent dollar

The Canadian dollar’s flirtations with the 80 U.S. cent mark is not likely to undermine agriculture’s potential for the rest of the year, said the principal agricultural economist at Farm Credit Canada. When FCC issued economic outlooks for agriculture back in January, it said the low dollar relative to the U.S. currency had been a

Poultry boards not letting their guard down as NAFTA preparations begin

Poultry boards not letting their guard down as NAFTA preparations begin

The U.S. has a healthy trade surplus with Canada for eggs and poultry

Dairy may be getting all the attention in the upcoming NAFTA negotiations, but the chicken, egg and turkey boards aren’t letting their guard down as talks begin in mid-August. “The government has been clear in its support for supply management and we are confident it will continue to support and protect supply management during the negotiations