Reading Time: 6 minutes CETA is short for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, but for many it’s become a term for frustration and disappointment. “When CETA was signed and ratified three years ago, there were lots of promises,” said Doug Sawyer, a cow-calf producer from Pine Lake and co-chair of the foreign trade committee for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. […] Read more
The Canada-EU trade deal: High hopes replaced by frustration
Instead of billions in extra trade, agreement bogged down in fruitless talks on ‘technical’ trade barriers
Grain, oilseed exports running ahead of average
MarketsFarm — Canadian grain and oilseed exports have left the country at a rapid pace during the first 10 weeks of the 2020-21 crop year, with canola, wheat,and barley movement-to-date all up substantially on the year. Total exports of Canada’s major grains and oilseeds as of Sunday came in at 9.57 million tonnes, according to […] Read more
China denies ‘coercive’ diplomacy with Canada
Envoy again urges release of Huawei executive
Ottawa | Reuters — China on Thursday denied it had taken two Canadian men hostage, and repeated a call for the release of a Huawei Technologies executive held in Canada who faces extradition to the United States amid a long-running diplomatic dispute. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in Vancouver […] Read more
Farmer and activist Percy Schmeiser, 89
Thorn in Monsanto's side also the subject of a new major film
Funeral services are to be held and livestreamed Saturday for Prairie farmer, businessman and activist Percy Schmeiser, best known for his ultimately unsuccessful court battles with the company behind Roundup Ready canola. Schmeiser, who farmed at Bruno, Sask., about 90 km east of Saskatoon, died Tuesday at age 89. According to Saskatchewan media, he had […] Read more
Dairy cattle traceability system switched on
Lactanet's DairyTrace program now operational
Lactanet Canada’s centralized national system for management of dairy cattle traceability data has formally been plugged in. Guelph-based dairy herd management service provider Lactanet on Monday launched DairyTrace, which it says will operate alongside the traceability module of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s proAction initiative in providing “state-of-the-art traceback capabilities in the event of an emergency […] Read more
U.S. oil refiners press on renewable diesel for Canadian market
Few such projects seen moving forward within Canada
Winnipeg/New York | Reuters — U.S. oil refineries are moving aggressively to produce renewable diesel, partly to cash in on Canada’s greener fuel standard before Canadian refiners modify their own plants. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government intends to present its Clean Fuel Standard this year, aiming to cut 30 million tonnes of emissions by […] Read more
Wheat, canola exports ahead of year-ago pace
MarketsFarm — Canadian grain and oilseed exports are running well ahead of the year-ago level eight weeks into the 2020-21 marketing year, according to the latest data from the Canadian Grain Commission. Total bulk exports of the major grains and oilseeds, as of Sunday, of 7.17 million tonnes compare with the six million exported during […] Read more
Ginseng piling up in Canada despite Chinese demand
Travel restrictions depress new-crop sales
Winnipeg/Hong Kong | Reuters — The pandemic’s crushing effect on international travel has grounded Canadian exports of ginseng, a root widely used in Asia to treat everything from the common cold to impotency, at a time when health is top of consumers’ minds. Canada is the world’s second-largest ginseng exporter after China, with most of […] Read more
Plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact
Demand could accelerate second Canadian plant
Paris | Reuters — The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the […] Read more
AAFC lowers wheat carryout estimate, raises canola
MarketsFarm — Updated supply and demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada call for tighter wheat carryout for the 2020-21 crop year than previous forecast — and more canola. Tursday’s report provides the first adjusted balance sheet estimates from the government agency that account for the latest production numbers from Statistics Canada released earlier in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
