Canada’s agriculture department and food safety agency will carry out their part of the federal government’s Indo-Pacific strategy from a new office in Manila, Philippines. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the office’s location Wednesday in Ottawa during a meeting with the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), which represents Canada’s export-dependent ag commodity groups on […] Read more
Philippines to host Canada’s Indo-Pacific ag office
AAFC/CFIA base to be set up in Manila, Bibeau says
Complex patchwork of global rules on crop residues makes vigilance important
Keeping track isn’t easy, which is why Keep It Clean puts out an annual list of potential trade risks
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Growers are again being reminded about proper use of crop protection products and their potential impact on trade. Keep It Clean, an initiative of several commodity organizations, recently released its annual list of products that may cause trouble with export sales. “We are export dependant,” Greg Bartley, director of crop protection and […] Read more
The trade take on CFIA’s gene-editing decision
Canada joins many countries friendly to GE crops, but some regions and organic markets will continue to opt out
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to grain trade, systems that provide transparency and choice for customers will likely continue to be important as more gene-edited crops hit the market. “We’re working proactively on some of these approaches,” said Krista Zuzak, director of crop protection and production with Cereals Canada. On May 3, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau […] Read more
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 […] Read more
Pre-election reports analyze Alberta’s ag issues
Three reports focus on party histories, ag sector concerns, current platforms
Alberta farmers’ concerns with provincial policy, and the two major parties’ stances on those concerns, are the subjects of a three-part analysis leading up to a provincial election on Monday. The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy, a think tank operating out of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says its three […] Read more
Taiwan pledges full access for Canadian beef
Market to reopen in 'a couple weeks,' minister says
Canadian beef exporters can expect to regain full market access to Taiwan within the next couple of weeks, Canada’s international trade minister said Thursday. Posting on Twitter Thursday from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting in Detroit, Mary Ng said Taiwanese officials have confirmed the decision, which she hailed as “great news […] Read more
The 20th anniversary of BSE: So much has changed
Border closures captured the headlines but BSE reshaped the cattle sector in profound ways
Reading Time: 4 minutes The dates are seared in Dennis Laycraft’s brain. May 20, 2003, when the first positive test of a cow with BSE was confirmed; Aug. 10, 2003, when the U.S. and Mexico restored import access for Canadian boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age; July 14, 2005, when the U.S. reopened full access for […] Read more
FCC offers new credit line against ‘current economic environment’
Ag lender to waive loan processing fees
Farm Credit Canada’s recent outreach to specific agrifood sectors hit by unusual environmental conditions has now extended to those hit by the broader “economic environment.” The federal ag lender on Tuesday said it will offer an unsecured credit line of up to $500,000 with loan processing fees waived, “to help producers, agribusinesses and agri-food operations […] Read more
Green light for gene editing heralds new age in farming
New guidance from Ottawa puts gene-edited varieties on par with their conventionally bred cousins
Reading Time: 4 minutes In what many believe will be a turning point for agriculture here, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has legalized the growth and marketing of crop varieties developed with gene editing. That has fired up Jason Lenz’s imagination about the technology’s impact on food waste and food security — and also on flea beetles. “Food security […] Read more
You grow food, but have you ever thought about making it?
Reading Time: 3 minutes It doesn’t sound like a farm show — and it’s not — but primary producers are one of the target audiences for the soon-to-be-launched Agri-Food Innovation Expo. “The initial event is a conference with a small trade show, with a bit of a focus on those who wish to expand their farm business and get […] Read more
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