Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis speaks on B.C. Agriculture Day in the provincial legislature on Oct. 25, 2022. (Legislative Assembly Of B.C. video screengrab via Facebook)

B.C.’s ag minister downed in fraught election

Governing party to be confirmed next week as votes recounted

Pam Alexis, the minister of agriculture and food for David Eby's New Democrats since late 2022, was defeated in her constituency of Abbotsford-Mission in Saturday night's election by Conservative challenger Reann Gasper, by a spread of almost 2,700 votes.

The 2024 provincial budget was released on April 2.

Ag groups note silver linings in 2024 provincial budget

School tax rebate stays in place, initiatives announced for livestock producers

The rest of the commercial properties in Manitoba are saying farewell to their school tax rebates under the 2024 Manitoba budget, but farmers get a pass. The provincial budget, tabled April 2, included a reworked rebate, pitched by the provincial government as an affordability measure for lower income Manitobans. The budget erased the rebate for


Ron Kostyshyn is sworn in on Oct. 18, 2023 as Manitoba’s minister for agriculture, with Premier Wab Kinew at left.

Kostyshyn back in the saddle as he lays a course on ag file

Provincial Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn discusses what the sector can expect now that he’s back in the role

Ron Kostyshyn says rural economic development is critical to the health of agriculture in Manitoba. “We don’t need to be chasing producers away. We need to have more of them involved for the economic development of rural Manitoba,” said Manitoba’s reappointed agriculture minister. Why it matters: Returning to his role as ag minister, which he

Ag Minister Nate Horner speaks at the Harmony Beef plant at Balzac, Alta. on Feb. 7, 2023. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

Alberta ag minister, ag critic hang onto seats in election

Governing UCP retains smaller majority

Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister and official opposition ag critic both appear set to return to the legislature as Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives (UCP) are expected to form a majority government. At about 1 a.m. Alberta time on Tuesday, Smith’s UCP was elected or leading in 49 of 87 constituencies; all remaining 38 went to

NDP ag critic Alistair MacGregor speaks Feb. 3, 2023 in the House of Commons. (Alistair MacGregor video screengrab via Facebook)

Federal NDP ag critic to handle food inflation file

Mini-shuffle follows new critic portfolio

Canada’s federal New Democrats have appointed their critic for agriculture and agri-food to a new point position on a major issue for the fourth-ranked opposition party. After the House of Commons resumed sitting last Monday (Jan. 30), NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on Friday named Alistair MacGregor, MP for the Vancouver Island riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, to


File photo of the produce section at a Canadian grocery store. (FatCamera/E+/Getty Images)

Competition Bureau to probe soaring food prices

Retail food prices seen outpacing inflation

Reuters — Canada’s competition watchdog said on Monday it would examine factors impacting soaring food prices and whether more competition in the grocery stores sector could help lower costs for Canadians. Price rises for store-bought food have been outpacing the broader annual inflation rate for 10 consecutive months, and grew 11.4 per cent in September,

In a recent post-election report, the NDP says it failed to fully deal with changes in the agriculture sector and the challenges facing rural communities.

Comment: NDP will need to do more to win favour in rural ridings

After attending enough political conventions, they all start blurring together a bit. Some memories stand out, though. One is being at a Saskatchewan NDP convention in Saskatoon (2016, I think) and seeing a rural member talking about agricultural policy. In the member’s mind, there wasn’t much of any agricultural policy in the Saskatchewan NDP’s playbook

File photo of Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew speaking to reporters on June 30, 2020.

NDP leaders team up to push AgriStability changes

Provincial conservatives have delayed and acted in half-measures, says NDP leader Kinew

Prairie NDP leaders banded together to call on their provincial governments to stop wasting time and agree to the full suite of AgriStability changes the federal government has offered. They’ve seen Prairie conservative premiers “delay, delay, delay,” said Wab Kinew, leader of Manitoba’s opposition New Democratic Party. When they’ve acted “it was only a half


File photo of Ontario cropland from the air. (IMNATURE/iStock/Getty Images)

Federal NDP introduces soil health bill

Proposal calls for a National Soil Health Advocate

The federal New Democrats propose to set up a plan they say could help build up Canadian agriculture from the ground down. The NDP’s agriculture critic, British Columbia MP Alistair MacGregor, on Monday introduced a private member’s bill in the Commons to create a national soil health strategy for Canada. The strategy as proposed in

Trent Wotherspoon, shown here speaking in Regina in 2012, is the provincial NDP’s new critic for agriculture and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance. (TrentWotherspoon.com)

Saskatchewan gets new ag critic, returning ag minister

David Marit, Trent Wotherspoon to handle farm file

Saskatchewan’s New Democrats will have a new critic to debate the incumbent minister over the agriculture file. Provincial opposition leader Ryan Meili on Tuesday announced Trent Wotherspoon, the MLA for Regina Rosemont since 2007, as the NDP’s critic for agriculture as well as finance, SaskTel, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) and the province’s Crown Investments