Quebec’s provincial cabinet has tapped Deputy Ag Minister Michel Saint-Pierre as the government’s point man on reworking income security programming for Quebec farmers. Saint-Pierre was appointed Thursday as associate general secretary to the provincial executive council, effective May 17. His mandate, the province said, will also involve concluding a new agreement on the operation of […] Read more
Que. moves on new terms for farm supports
Sow cull already halfway to goal: CPC
Two weeks after opening for business, the federal cull breeding swine program has had enough uptake to get it over halfway to its target. The Canadian Pork Council, which is administering the cull on behalf of the federal government, said Wednesday that over 75,000 breeding animals were committed to the program in its first two […] Read more
Viterra names new chairman
Montreal banker Thomas Birks has been elected the new chairman of the board at Canada’s largest grain company. Birks joined the board of what was then Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in 2005, before the Regina company’s merger last year with its larger rival Agricore United under the name Viterra. He is currently president of merchant bank […] Read more
FNA launches non-profit lobbying wing
Government relations work on behalf of farmers buying ag inputs from outside Canada may go more easily through a new, non-profit advocacy group, according to Farmers of North America (FNA). FNA, a Saskatoon-based group that brokers deals for lower-cost imports of farm chemicals, fertilizer and other inputs and equipment on members’ behalf, on Tuesday announced […] Read more
Canada boosts food aid, lifts limit on sourcing
Canada has untied its remaining limits on where federally-funded food aid can be sourced, and has pledged to spend 28 per cent more on such aid this year. Food aid programming will get $230 million this fiscal year, up $50 million, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda said in a release Wednesday. Canada will also open […] Read more
Alta. to process cull pork for food banks
The Alberta government will put up $300,000 to process ground pork from animals slaughtered through the new federal cull breeding swine program, for use by the province’s food banks. The provincial funding, announced Wednesday, is meant to help pay to process the sow carcasses from the cull program into usable meat with the Alberta Food […] Read more
Newfoundland budgets for ag development
Newfoundland and Labrador’s latest budget offers the province’s farmers a number of new programs aimed at further developing the industry. The budget, released Tuesday, forecasts a surplus of $544 million for 2008-09 and confirms a $1.4 billion surplus for 2007-08. It also forecasts the province’s net debt will drop from its March 2007 level of […] Read more
Que. brewery gets $1M for expansion
It’s hoped local farmers will be among the beneficiaries of a Baie-St. Paul, Que. brewery’s expansion, for which the province and Ottawa will kick in $1 million in total loans and grants. Gestion Bistro Brasserie, which has operated a craft microbrewery and restaurant in the community about 90 km northeast of Quebec City since 1998, […] Read more
Food prices to bite Canada’s grocers: report
Faced with the “Wal-Mart effect,” Canada’s grocery retailers can’t depend on price hikes to cope with rising food prices, according to a new report from the George Morris Centre. The Guelph-based ag think tank on Tuesday released a new report on sales and pricing challenges in the Canadian food and beverage sector. It noted that […] Read more
Manitoba, Australia link up on drought research
Joint research work on crops’ drought tolerance and on how fresh foods can fight disease is up for $900,000 in Manitoba government funding. The province on Tuesday said it will fund three research projects at the University of Manitoba that involve work-sharing with three different institutions in Australia. They include: study of how plants and […] Read more
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