Saskatchewan’s agriculture ministry is considering an overhaul of its delivery system for ag extension services, in time for a new federal/provincial funding framework next year. Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart on Tuesday announced a new online survey on the subject for farmers, ranchers and agribusiness operators, running until the end of the month. Extension delivery in […] Read more
Saskatchewan ponders changes to ag extension model
Proposed labour rules for Alberta farms go public
The Alberta public will get about a month to speak its mind on proposed changes to provincial labour laws, with the goal of applying those changes to farms and ranches. The province on Monday released a pair of reports from technical working groups (TWGs) reviewing farm and ranch operations’ status under the Employment Standards Code […] Read more
Incentives urged to match organic supply to demand
Canadian governments will need to come up with incentives for farmers going organic if they want domestic supply to keep up with domestic demand, a national organic sector group warns. The Canada Organic Trade Association on Wednesday released data showing 5,053 certified organic operations in Canada, accounting for 2.43 million acres of land, at the […] Read more
Ontario waste plan to include ban on food waste disposal
Ontario’s new strategy for a “waste-free” province includes a proposal to ban food waste from disposal, instead finding “creative strategies” to recycle it. The province on Wednesday announced its new “Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy,” which calls for industries to divert more of the waste they produce away from landfills, and […] Read more
Grain Commission seeks farmer input on surplus funds
The Canadian Grain Commission is looking for grain growers’ input on how best to draw down a surplus built mainly from the user fees paid into its revolving fund — and on a new formula for future user fees. A combination of “higher than expected grain volumes and lower than expected spending” in the past […] Read more
Cereal commissions launch mentorship program
Registration deadline for AdvancingAg Future Leaders is March 13
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province’s two main cereal groups are launching their version of a mentorship program that has already been a proven success in the beef sector. “The AdvancingAg Future Leaders program is about fostering a strong network of future agriculture leaders for a progressive and vibrant cropping industry in Alberta,” Kevin Bender, vice-chair of the Alberta […] Read more
Quebec names new deputy ag minister
A former deputy minister for Quebec’s ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries has returned to the post after a few years in the consulting business. Marc Dion, 67, was announced Tuesday as deputy minister effective March 1, replacing Fernand Archambault as the ministry’s lead bureaucrat. Dion, a consultant in private practice since 2011, had previously […] Read more
Major flood risks seen in southern Manitoba
Areas of Manitoba are at moderate to major risk of flooding, according to the province’s first full flood outlook for the spring. Levels of future snowfall and/or rainfall, the timing and speed of snowmelt, and the runoff timing in Manitoba, the U.S., Saskatchewan and Ontario are still “key factors,” the provincial government said Monday in […] Read more
Extra funds, orders help B.C. ALC clear backlog
British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Commission credits new funding, and a new regime of performance measures, with helping it to clear its backlog of applications. The ALC, the tribunal overseeing provincial measures to conserve farmland and enable farming-related land use, recently announced it has “eliminated” a backlog of 185 applications — and has processed over 90 […] Read more
Canada Bread to shut Beauce-region bakery
Baked goods firm Canada Bread Co. plans to shut a pantry bread bakery in Quebec’s Beauce region and shift a nearby plant’s bread roll production to a third site in the province. The company, an arm of Mexican bakery firm Grupo Bimbo since 2014, announced Tuesday it will close its bakery at St-Come-Liniere, about 110 […] Read more
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