Saskatchewan’s provincial government has reinstated a provincial sales tax (PST) exemption for agriculture, health and life insurance premiums. Premier Scott Moe on Monday announced the exemption will take effect retroactive to Aug. 1 last year, when the PST was first applied to insurance. The province said the exemption will include PST on premiums paid for […] Read more
Saskatchewan pulls sales tax off farm insurance
Amid fresh Trump tension, negotiators seek NAFTA progress
Mexico City | Reuters — U.S., Mexican and Canadian negotiators met on Monday seeking to narrow disagreements on how to overhaul the NAFTA trade deal despite renewed signs of tension between Mexico and U.S. President Donald Trump over his planned border wall. The trade teams began a seventh round of talks on Sunday aiming to […] Read more
Final version of Trans-Pacific trade deal released
Wellington/Sydney | Reuters — The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signalling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the U.S. More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final […] Read more
WTO should prepare for life without U.S., ex-chief Lamy says
Geneva | Reuters — World Trade Organization countries need to prepare for a future without the United States as a member of the club, former WTO chief Pascal Lamy said on Monday. The U.S. has thrown the WTO into crisis by blocking the appointment of new judges, undermining its dispute settlement system just as it […] Read more
Canada to seek Mercosur trade pact amid NAFTA uncertainty
Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government plans to open free trade talks with the four-nation Mercosur trading bloc in South America, an official said on Friday, at a time when the future of NAFTA is facing increasing uncertainty. Canada sends around 75 per cent of its goods exports to the U.S. and is looking […] Read more
Ontario, Canada sign $1.5 billion CAP agreement
The Canadian and Ontario governments have signed an agreement that will see $1.5 billion of Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) money available to be spent in the province. Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal said the five-year program will start April 3, which, he added, will mean a seamless transition between the current federal-provincial agriculture and food […] Read more
Farmers encouraged to make Agriculture Day meme-able
Canada’s farmers are being urged to make closer connections with the country’s non-farming consumers, in both the real world and cyberspace, as Canada’s Agriculture Day nears. Spearheaded by the year-round industry-backed initiative Agriculture More Than Ever, Canada’s Agriculture Day is set this year for Tuesday (Feb. 13). “It’s a time to showcase all of the […] Read more
Market shifts, weather push back Food Freedom Day
Food Freedom Day, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s bellwether of affordability for food in Canada, is a day later in 2018. The CFA on Wednesday announced that by its calculations, a Canadian household of average income has earned enough to pay an entire year’s grocery bill on Friday, Feb. 9. Canadians spent 11 per cent […] Read more
Dairy sector wary of proposed food label policy
Canadian consumers are being asked to weigh in on proposed new front-of-pack warnings for foods high in saturated fats, sugars and sodium, starting this weekend. And while whole milk would get a pass from such a plan, Canada’s dairy farmer organization fears many other dairy products would wind up wearing such warnings, thus “alarming” consumers. […] Read more
Le Bulletin marks 100th anniversary
Canada’s oldest francophone farm publication on Friday marked its 100th birthday with an updated look and a new theme for the year. Le Bulletin des agriculteurs — now owned and published by Glacier FarmMedia, operator of this website — recently released its January 2018 issue under the theme “100 ans et tourne vers l’avenir” (100 […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
