Cross-border travellers coming into Canada from the U.S. are being warned not to bring in raw poultry or eggs from Tennessee or Alabama following outbreaks of avian flu in those states. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced restrictions on imports of uncooked poultry products, live birds and/or eggs from those two states until […] Read more
Canada blocks poultry, eggs from Tennessee, Alabama
Trump budget plan cuts USDA food, rural water funding
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed halting funding for rural clean water initiatives and reducing county-level staff, for a 21 per cent drop in discretionary spending at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to a White House budget document. The $4.7 billion in cuts would leave USDA with a budget of […] Read more
Pacific trade pact countries seek ‘progressive’ way forward
Vina Del Mar, Chile | Reuters — The remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are seeking a way forward on the trade pact, they said on Wednesday, as some emphasized the need for deals to address concerns about workers’ rights and other issues. The TPP, which originally covered some 40 per cent of global […] Read more
Trump’s trade nominee pledges tough enforcement
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice for the top trade negotiator on Tuesday pledged an “America First” strategy to aggressively enforce U.S. laws and trade deals to stop unfair imports and push China to scrap excess factory capacity. Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative nominee, told senators at his confirmation hearing that […] Read more
Study finds organic’s sustainability ‘context-dependent’
When weighed for sustainability, the purported benefits and costs of organic agriculture can actually “vary heavily” from case to case, a new University of British Columbia study finds. The UBC study, titled “Many shades of gray: The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture,” published Friday in the U.S. journal Science Advances, sets out to “systematically review […] Read more
Caterpillar says compliant with tax laws after IRS claim
Reuters — Caterpillar Inc. said Friday it was compliant with tax laws, a week after federal law enforcement officials raided three of the company’s buildings in connection with a probe into the heavy machinery manufacturer’s offshore tax practices. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has challenged the company’s taxes for the years 2007-2012, the company said […] Read more
Runoff levels up in Saskatchewan’s forecast
Saskatchewan has raised its expectations for spring runoff across the board, now predicting “near normal” levels for much of the province and “above normal” to “well above normal” levels in its southeast. The province’s Water Security Agency on Thursday released a March spring runoff forecast pointing to two “areas of concern” — the province’s far […] Read more
Paths seen open to post-TPP Pacific trade pact
Santiago | Reuters — Countries that signed up for the failed trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will meet in Chile next week, seeking a way forward on a possible future regional deal, Chile’s head of international trade told Reuters. Representatives from the 12 countries that formed the TPP, plus China and South […] Read more
U.S. Commerce chief sees no major NAFTA talks until later this year
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Wednesday that substantial negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement likely will not get started until the latter part of this year and could take a year to complete. Ross, speaking to Bloomberg Television, said U.S. legal notification requirements with partners Mexico and […] Read more
Saskatchewan ponders changes to ag extension model
Saskatchewan’s agriculture ministry is considering an overhaul of its delivery system for ag extension services, in time for a new federal/provincial funding framework next year. Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart on Tuesday announced a new online survey on the subject for farmers, ranchers and agribusiness operators, running until the end of the month. Extension delivery in […] Read more
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