milk pouring

Dairy farmers step up pressure on Ottawa over diafiltered milk

Milk producers say the rules around diafiltered milk in cheese making need to be enforced

Dairy Farmers of Canada and a coalition of Quebec farmers and processors are stepping up the pressure on the federal government to curb importation of diafiltered milk. They’re calling on the government to enforce eight-year-old changes to cheese compositional standards that barred the use of high-protein milk products. DFC president Wally Smith joined Quebec Agriculture

Transportation Minister Marc Garneau says the timeline to decide how to proceed on grain shipping is growing tighter as the July 31 expiration date for temporary measures draws nearer.

Government aware deadline for temporary rail measures drawing near

The recent release of CTA recommendations further complicates the decision, says transport minister

The federal government is grappling with a complicated question as the expiry date looms on emergency sanctions imposed on the railways in 2014: should they stay or should they go? Astronaut-turned-transport minister, Marc Garneau concedes the timeline is a tight one as the current measures — minimum weekly haulage targets, expanded interswitching and fines on


Chicken Farm

Supply-managed groups pressuring government to address border issues

Unnecessary ingredients added to milk products to skirt tariffs and quotas

The Trudeau government is facing growing pressure from farm groups to improve border regulations and enforcement around supply-managed commodities. The issue has been boiling over in recent days as the sector has felt growing pressure over European and Pacific trade deals. Poultry producers pounded federal border rules and the Canada Border Services Agency during hearings

dairy cattle

Feds fulfilling promises key to supply management surviving TPP

Ongoing industry talks with federal government providing clarity, say industry insiders

The supply-managed sector can survive the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership if the federal government makes good on promises to control mislabelled imports and provide financial compensation. Robin Horel, president and CEO, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, told the Senate agriculture committee the industry has been in talks with federal officials about border controls and programs


border lineup (trucks) - Glen Nicoll
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COOL demise a costly victory for Canadian producers

It took eight years and billions of dollars, but ultimately trade law prevailed in securing the labelling law’s repeal

UPDATED: Dec. 29 – After nearly eight years and millions of dollars spent fighting it at the World Trade Organization and billions in lower prices for Canadian beef and hog producers, the U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling program has been repealed. The end came Dec. 18 when both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a massive

Conservatives call on Liberals to move forward on TPP

But Chrystia Freeland says the deal is not yet ready to sign

The Trudeau government won’t be pressured by the Conservatives or business lobbies into ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal until the public has been consulted about it, says Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland. She told Conservative trade critic Gerry Ritz in the Commons that the deal is not even open yet for ratification or a signature.


Federal government reviews TPP compensation to dairy sector

Federal government reviews TPP compensation to dairy sector

Will the new government follow through on Conservative promises to toughen border controls on milk substitutes and ban imports of milk from cows treated with the rBST?

Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland’s statement that the federal government is reviewing the $4.3-billion dairy compensation package announced by the former government as part of its Pacific trade deal doesn’t alarm Dairy Farmers of Canada. A review “makes sense if the government is going to consult Canadians about the impact” of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Yves Ruel,

Pork agency hearings set for 2016

Pork agency hearings set for 2016

The proposed promotion and research agency would be funded by farmer levies

The Farm Products Council of Canada has scheduled public hearings for Calgary and Montreal in 2016 on the proposed national pork promotion and research agency. The sessions will be in Calgary Jan. 19 and Montreal Feb. 16. The council has been collecting written submissions for the last few months on the proposal for an agency


Canada’s prime minister spells out his expectations for agriculture

An Agri-Food Value Investment Fund to create jobs in food processing is among 
the new minister’s top priorities

The following contains excerpts from the ministerial mandate issued to newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay As minister of agriculture and agri-food, your overarching goal will be to support the agricultural sector in a way that allows it to be a leader in job creation and innovation. You will implement our government’s

Lawrence MacAulay

MacAulay has been given his list of marching orders

Healthy food, grain transportation, 
expanded trade and more basic research 
are among the items on his to-do list

For the first time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made public the mandate letters traditionally issued to every minister, and Agriculture Minister Lawr­­ence MacAulay’s list includes a national food policy, improved grain transportation, climate change adaptation and more basic research. MacAulay is to develop “a food policy that promotes healthy living and safe food by putting