The petition says that Canadian consumers are driving strong demand for organic food, and asks the federal government to establish policies and programs to “encourage growth in the domestic supply of organic to meet the market opportunity,” and to “meaningfully recognize and incentivize sustainable resilient food systems, such as organic, across all departments that relate to Canadian food policy.”

Organic group send petition to federal government
Feds asked to establish policies and programs to help organic producers meet consumer demand, create sustainable food systems

Prairie forecast: Spring has sprung but winter might not be done
Forecast issued April 10, 2024, covering April 10 to 17
Spring has definitely sprung across the prairies with only a few locations still having snow cover. Spring is a notorious time for forecasting as warm air builds to the south while cold air still sits to the north. That means this forecast period looks both easy and hard.

USDA to halt July cattle report and some crop data, citing budget levels
Cancelation a 'major blow' to livestock sector, ag economist says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is canceling its July cattle inventory report as well as county-level estimates for crops and livestock, the government said in a statement on Tuesday, citing budget constraints.

U.S. grains: Grain, soy futures keep dipping on weather, govt reports
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat, soy and corn futures fell for a second straight day on Tuesday, weighed down by sustained competition abroad and improving U.S. planting weather on the horizon, analysts said.

U.S. livestock: CME livestock futures turn higher amid rising wholesale prices
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures turned higher on Tuesday, as continued strength in wholesale prices eased concerns about consumer demand - even as investors grew nervous about ongoing inflationary concerns and rising consumer prices, traders said.

Pulse Weekly: Indian demand lifting Canada’s export program
Pulse Canada president Greg Cherewyk said the country’s pulse export program remains in great shape amidst mixed news for the industry.

Ag resources for teachers released
New online resources will help Canadian teachers educate students in grades 10 and 11 about what it takes to grow the food they eat.

Mixed outlook on global canola production
Australian canola production is expected to rise in 2024/25, while the European rapeseed crop will likely be smaller on the year, according to updated estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

U.S. cattle vets rename bovine bird-flu
CDC asks state health authorities to have plans in place to test, treat farm workers; says risk to humans still low
An organization representing American cattle veterinarians has opted to refer to bird flu in cattle as bovine influenza A virus, or BIAV, in hopes of distancing it from its avian counterpart.

Klassen: Buyers step back on feeder cattle due to bird flu
Compared to last week, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $4-$8/cwt lower while some packages of heavier replacements dropped as much as $12/cwt, and three main factors led to weaker prices.