Mexico City | Reuters — Canadian and Mexican officials insisted that the North American Free Trade Agreement remain a trilateral pact on Wednesday and reiterated their opposition to U.S. calls for a so-called “sunset clause” that could end the deal after five years. After a meeting in Mexico City, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and […] Read more
Mexico, Canada insist on three-way NAFTA deal
Canada’s new export minister to push beyond U.S. market
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada has created a new federal cabinet position to help exporters look beyond the U.S. and there will be resources for small businesses that want to take advantage of new trade deals, the new minister for export promotion said on Tuesday. Mary Ng, who vaulted to cabinet-level last week to take […] Read more
World’s ‘affection’ for Canada will help in trade diversification: Carr
Ottawa | Reuters — There is “an awful lot of affection for Canada” around the world that will help the government’s push to diversify exports away from the United States, the country’s new trade minister said on Thursday, as ties with Washington become more strained. Winnipeg MP Jim Carr, previously the minister for natural resources, […] Read more
National job vacancy rate increases in ag sector
CNS Canada — The national job vacancy rate in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector is increasing compared to the same period a year ago. Data for the first quarter of 2018, ending April 30, showed a vacancy rate of 6.9 per cent in the sector compared to 5.3 per cent in the first […] Read more
Crop conditions slide as soil moisture dwindles in some areas
Alberta crop conditions as of July 10, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes Precipitation over the past month has been very spotty across the province, resulting in variable soil moisture reserves and crop conditions. Crop condition ratings are down from a week ago for all regions, but still higher than the short and long term averages in the North East, North West and Peace Regions. For the Southern […] Read more
Canopy Growth to buy Tokyo Smoke owner Hiku Brands
Reuters — Ontario’s Canopy Growth Corp. is buying Toyko Smoke cannabis owner Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. for $269.2 million, the latest deal in a fast-consolidating sector ahead of legal recreational marijuana sales. Smiths Falls-based Canopy Growth on Tuesday offered 0.046 of its shares, or $1.91 per share, for each Hiku share held, a premium of […] Read more
Crops improve in South, Central Alberta, other regions see declines
Alberta crop conditions as of July 3, 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province endured some erratic weather this past week ranging from strong winds, a little hail, some cooler than normal temperatures and random rainfall. At this time there is standing water in some fields while others are parched. Recent rainfalls have contributed to an overall increase in surface soil moisture rated as good or better, […] Read more
Millions of Alberta acres have resistant weeds
Kochia and wild oats top a long list of resistant weeds that are now present in Alberta, says crop specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to herbicide resistance, producers should be looking for trouble. The ongoing spread of resistant weeds means producers should be actively scouting for it, said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “We now have glyphosate resistance in kochia in southern Alberta and it continues to spread,” said Brook. “These should serve as a wake-up […] Read more
U.S. approves marijuana-derived drug for epilepsy
Reuters — The U.S. health regulator approved GW Pharmaceuticals’ epilepsy treatment on Monday, making it the first cannabis-based drug to win approval in the country and opening floodgates for more research into the medicinal properties of cannabis. The drug’s approval permits its use in patients aged two years and older with Dravet Syndrome (DS) and […] Read more
Senate approves recreational use of marijuana
Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s upper house of Parliament on Tuesday approved a revised bill to legalize recreational marijuana, setting the stage for the country to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize cannabis. The Senate voted 52-29 in favour of the revised bill from the House of Commons, paving the way for […] Read more