A Prince Edward Island dairy farmer who unseated the province’s incumbent premier on election night is the new provincial minister for agriculture and land, and for justice and public safety. Bloyce Thompson, the new Progressive Conservative MLA for the district of Stanhope-Marshfield, was sworn in Thursday as a member of incoming Premier Dennis King’s nine-member […] Read more
P.E.I. dairyman named provincial ag and land minister
Farm groups see something for everyone in federal budget
Response so far from farm and agribusiness organizations to Tuesday’s pre-election budget suggests the federal government has managed to find at least one line item for everyone in the ag sector. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s budget pledges compensation for supply-managed sectors facing financial hits from international trade pacts, funding for a new federal food policy […] Read more
Canada’s Saputo to buy major U.K. dairy firm
A major British dairy company is poised to become the property of one of Canada’s biggest dairy processors in a $1.7 billion all-cash deal. Saputo Inc. announced Friday it has an agreement in place with Dairy Crest Group — the maker of Cathedral City cheese and Country Life butter among other major U.K. dairy brands […] Read more
Alberta Milk’s new-entrant program taking applications
The program, which ‘loans’ quota to new dairy farmers, has helped 17 operations start up
Reading Time: < 1 minute Until March 31, Alberta Milk will be accepting applications to its New Entrant Assistance Program. The program offers a quota loan at no cost to successful applicants who want to be dairy farmers anywhere in the province. Under the program, every kilogram of quota purchased by the new entrant is matched by two kilograms by […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus to exit dairy by mid-2019
Paris | Reuters –– Louis Dreyfus Co. said on Wednesday it would sell or wind down its small dairy business by the middle of this year as part of an overhaul to revive growth at the agricultural commodity giant. Privately-held Louis Dreyfus had previously earmarked dairy as one of several activities to be sold or […] Read more
Innovative dairy group wins sector’s top award
Reading Time: < 1 minute The East of Olds Dairy Farmer Study Club is the recipient of the Alberta dairy industry’s top award. “This year’s recipients are particularly special as they are fellow dairy farmers,” Alberta Milk chair Tom Kootstra said when presenting this year’s Dairy Industry Achievement Award. “This group truly is the essence of what the DIAA is […] Read more
USMCA costs Canada sovereignty in ag policy, critics warn
Changes to Canadian dairy supply management in the final text of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement give up oversight of the system to the U.S., Canada’s dairy farmer group warns. The trade deal, signed Friday in Buenos Aires by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexico’s outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto, now goes […] Read more
U.S., Canada, Mexico sign trade deal after last-minute brinkmanship
Buenos Aires | Reuters — The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States signed a North American trade pact on Friday after brinkmanship over the final details of the deal continued through the eve of the signing. They agreed on a deal in principle to govern the more than trillion dollars of mutual trade […] Read more
Canadian dairies get significant control over imports under TPP
Toronto | Reuters — Canada will give local dairy processors significant control over imports under a new trade deal with Pacific countries that opens the sheltered industry to further competition, according to a notice published by the federal government, which drew criticism from Canadian retailers. New quotas created by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for […] Read more
Dairy issue nags as U.S., Canada prepare to sign trade pact
New York/Ottawa | Reuters — Dairy remains a sticking point between the United States and Canada as the countries prepare to sign a new North American trade pact this week, according to four sources familiar with the matter. U.S. objections to Canada’s protected internal market for dairy products was a major challenge facing negotiators during […] Read more
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