U.S. Senate building

U.S. push for NAFTA renegotiation coming but could be a slow starter

The only agriculture issues that are coming up so far are dairy quotas and country-of-origin labelling for meat

Reports emanating from Washington suggest the White House will announce a proposal for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement in mid-March. Congressional leaders say they will consider it but want to see the reasoning behind the initiative before giving their support. There’s a lot of doubt about whether the administration is actually ready to

Farm debt seems manageable, FCC head says

The agency holds close to a third of all farm debt in Canada

National farm debt could reach as high as $100 billion once all the figures for 2016 are in, but Mike Hoffort, CEO of Farm Credit Canada, says farmers are generally in a good financial situation. “Canadian agriculture is strong and stable,” he told the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. However, farmers need


The iconic yellow canola flower is also causing the Canadian economy to blossom, according to a report that spurred much discussion at the recent Canola Council of Canada annual conference.

Canola worth $26.7 billion, economic impact study shows

Total economic impact rising dramatically, independent analysis shows

Canola’s value to the Canadian economy has tripled in the past decade, now coming in at $26.7 billion a year, according to a newly released study. That’s an increase of nearly $6 billion compared to the three-year period of 2009-11, with a large part of the value stemming from the 250,000 jobs and the $11.2

An anti-CETA protest in Vienna, Austria in 2016.

CETA: A false solution to economic and political woes

Since Donald Trump took office as president of the United States, a shocking list of executive orders is making people around the world uneasy about unpredictable days ahead. Democracy and civil liberties are in peril. It is reasonable for Canadian and European officials to respond with concern to Trump’s aberrations. But it appears that, fearing


Donald J. Trump

Promises made, promises kept

U.S. farmers are reaping the whirlwind of their bargain with Trump

Of all the words used to describe President Donald J. Trump during his first weeks in office — bold, boastful, alternative facts — here are two that almost no person or pundit uttered: promise keeper. Love him or loathe him, Trump took no time in checking off key items from his unconventional campaign’s list of

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the EU-Canada Leaders’ Summit and CETA signing ceremony in Brussels, Belgium on Oct. 30, 2016.

EU trade deal moves forward but questions remain

CETA is bucking an international trend that sees countries pulling back from trade deals

With ratification by the European Parliament and the House of Commons, the Canada-Europe free trade deal known as CETA has taken a giant step forward. But questions remain about its full implementation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the ratification is an important milestone. “Canada and the EU will now complete their respective legislative and regulatory


From cheese to maple syrup, what’s in EU-Canada trade deal?

The European Union and Canada will kick-start a multibillion-dollar trade pact called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in the coming months after it secured approval from EU lawmakers on Wednesday. Parts of the deal, particularly concerning investment, will only come into force after clearance by more than 30 national parliaments and the assemblies

The agri-food sector could add even more to Canada’s economic growth with a concerted public-private effort.

Agri-food sector gets nod from key federal panel

The federal Advisory Council on Economic Growth has tipped agriculture and food as an important opportunity

The agri-food sector has received a big-league endorsement from the federal Advisory Council on Economic Growth. The group gives policy direction to federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau. In a report that will receive plenty of attention around the cabinet table, agri-food is identified as one of eight sectors “where Canada has a strong endowment, untapped


Mergers could make room for small players

Mergers are carefully considered, but agencies lack teeth when it comes to enforcing conditions

An erosion of both resources and clout limits the ability of governments to protect farmers from the effects of market concentration, a U.S. farm leader told farmers attending the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers meeting. “Enforcement is a big problem and a growing problem,” said Roger Johnson, president of the American National Farmers Union. “In the

Free trade, rural Canada and how to avoid being Trumped

Free trade agreements aren’t the panacea they’re purported to be, a better approach is needed

Over the decades since the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and later, NAFTA, was signed, Canadian agriculture has undergone a significant shift. There was once a multitude of diverse local and regional economic drivers, but now we have a “one-size-fits-all” export-driven, low-priced commodity production model. Farm capital needs have skyrocketed as illustrated by the massive