A rail line in Aguas Calientes, Peru. (CIA.gov)

Pacific trade bloc adds ‘associate’ members, including Canada

Cali, Colombia | Reuters –– Four new countries will be admitted to the Pacific Alliance as associate members, the trade group said on Thursday, as it seeks to expand commerce with the Asia-Pacific region while the U.S. pushes for protectionist measures. The alliance, which comprises Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru, will on Friday admit Singapore, […] Read more


(Staff photo)

National dairy group loses executive director

Caroline Emond has resigned as executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) after two and half years in the position. Emond will be stepping down effective July 4, DFC announced Wednesday. Emond has dealt with some significant files and changes to dairy marketing since she replaced long-time retiring executive director Richard Doyle. She has […] Read more



We all need to be ever vigilant when it comes to rabies

We all need to be ever vigilant when it comes to rabies

Beef 911: This fatal disease is very rare, but animal owners and rural residents 
should always be on the lookout for telltale signs

Reading Time: 4 minutes We don’t hear this disease mentioned very often, but when we do there is a very scary connotation attached to it. Rabies is virtually always a fatal disease to all mammals, and zoonotic to humans with no curative treatment once clinical signs develop. Only prevention through vaccination and a strong surveillance program have kept incidence […] Read more

(Deere.ca)

Farmers keen early adopters, StatsCan report shows

CNS Canada — Canadian farmers in most sectors are strong proponents of data-driven technology, according to a report Wednesday from Statistics Canada. The latest release from StatsCan’s 2016 Census of Agriculture showed farmers were particularly keen to jump into new technology if it improved the efficiency of their operations or their bottom lines. StatsCan spokesperson […] Read more


(Country Guide file photo)

Ag sector equity rises in 2016

CNS Canada –– Agriculture sector equity rose slightly in 2016, according to a Statistics Canada balance sheet on the industry. Farm sector equity totaled $500.3 billion for the year ending Dec. 31. That’s a 4.5 per cent increase, or $21.6 billion, from the same period a year ago, according to the report released Wednesday. Farm […] Read more



(USDec.org)

Dairy protection sought ahead of NAFTA talks

CNS Canada — The head of Canada’s dairy industry group highlighted the role of Canadian dairy producers in the domestic market, as the potential for trade agreement renegotiations loom. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier in the year he was considering pulling the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but later shifted […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Eastern dairy farmers get big quota increase

The eastern Canadian provinces have approved a five per cent dairy quota increase — their largest one-time quota increase since the daily quota system was implemented in 1998. It will also be implemented quickly, on July 1. The five provinces — Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario — create quota policy […] Read more