Tuesday’s federal budget contains some welcome measures for farmers but no commitment to promote investment and growth in the ag sector, according to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. The CFA, in the midst of its annual general meeting this week in Ottawa, said late Tuesday that the budget, on top of its reaffirmation of aid […] Read more
Feds’ budget “light” on ag growth: CFA
Court rejects government’s appeal on CWB
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, when asked Monday to comment on Tuesday’s court date for Ottawa’s bid to deregulate Prairie barley marketing, had said “it’s just one sleep away — it’s sort of like Christmas.” A three-member panel of judges from the Federal Court of Appeal handed Ritz a proverbial lump of coal Tuesday in Winnipeg, […] Read more
Tuesday’s budget cites Monday’s ag pledges
If farmers get a sense of deja vu from Tuesday’s federal budget, they won’t have to think back very far. The $72 million in new farm program spending cited in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget goes to cover Monday’s announcement of proposed legislative changes to the federal advance payments program ($22.1 million in 2008-09) and […] Read more
Que. crop insurance payouts, claims down: FAQ
Crop damage claims from Quebec’s 2007 growing season are below the five-year average and crop insurance payouts are also expected to drop from year-earlier levels, the provincial ag lending and insurance agency reported Tuesday. La Financiere agricole du Quebec’s (FAQ) February report on the state of Quebec’s crops describes the 2007 harvest as generally well-played […] Read more
CCA names new chief for CanFax
Rob Leslie, a former rancher and livestock drug sales rep, has been named the new manager of CanFax, the market analysis wing of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Leslie starts March 3, the CCA said in a release Tuesday. His role will include that of the division’s senior market analyst, as well as advocacy work, representing […] Read more
CFIA finds 12th mad cow
A six-year-old dairy cow from Alberta was confirmed Tuesday as Canada’s latest case of mad cow disease. As in every case since bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first found in Canada in 2003, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported the animal’s carcass is under agency control and no part of it went into the […] Read more
CWB posts first PRO for 2008-09
Tight supplies of board grains have led the Canadian Wheat Board to post its first 2008-09 pool return outlooks (PROs) in some cases well over 110 per cent higher compared to a year ago. The board’s first PRO for No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) 14.5 is set at $399 per tonne, up from […] Read more
Sask. greases wheels for biofuel project funding
Biofuel processing projects in Saskatchewan will have an easier time of getting funding under changes made to the provincial Biofuels Investment Opportunity (SaskBIO) program, the province announced Monday. The changes allow an “eligible community investor” to mean anyone living and doing business in Saskatchewan, rather than anyone living within a 100-km radius of a proposed […] Read more
CWB shortens PPO pricing periods
The Canadian Wheat Board’s effective pricing period for its producer payment option programs will now run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (CT) each business day. The CWB said in a bulletin Friday that it made this adjustment “in order to better manage trade risk on these programs.” An exchange-for-physicals can be undertaken to accommodate […] Read more
Mexico, Barbados accept Canadian breeding cattle
The Mexican government has loosened its restrictions on Canadian beef and cattle to allow the import of breeding cattle from Canada. In a release Saturday, the Mexican agriculture department said it will expand Canadian exporters’ market access starting next month to include beef and dairy breeding cattle, as well as previously allowed shipments of beef […] Read more
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