Lawrence MacAulay will be replacing Marie-Claude Bibeau as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. It will be his second turn in the role, having previously served between 2015 and 2019. The announcement came at a Wednesday swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall, where Prime Minister Trudeau’s anticipated cabinet re-shuffle was unveiled. MacAulay, who represents the […] Read more
Bibeau out, MacAulay in as AAFC Minister
Veteran P.E.I minister to take over Canada’s top ag role as Trudeau shuffles cabinet
Federal and provincial ag ministers meet in Fredericton
Environmental issues remain a hot topic for provincial agriculture ministers. That and sustainable agriculture dominated discussions during the recent federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers meeting in Fredericton, N.B. The annual conference was held from July 19-21. The focus on sustainable agriculture tracks, as this is the first time the ministers have met since […] Read more
Feds up the ante for canola growers adopting 4R
Cash available more than triples in second year of Canola 4R Advantage
Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal government has loosened the purse strings for canola producers hoping to set up select 4R nutrient management practices on their farms. Applicants to the Canola 4R Advantage program can now seek up to $20,000 in assistance for each of three (possibly four) eligible 4R best management practices, compared to $6,000 per BMP in […] Read more
Ranchers say federal funding key to watering improvements
Not everyone is happy with the way OFCAF does business, with some saying it doesn’t support cutting-edge producers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Installing a pasture pipeline watering system was a pipe dream — literally — for Matt and Angela Kumlin, until they tapped the On-Farm Climate Action Fund. The Kumlins received $70,000 through OFCAF to build a water pipeline on their ranch. Now creeping up on the $100,000 mark, Angela said the project, meant to boost rotational […] Read more
Federal workers reach tentative deal
Over 120,000 PSAC members back on job Monday
Over 120,000 striking federal government employees are expected to return to work starting Monday morning (May 1) after reaching tentative agreements overnight. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) announced after midnight Monday it had reached tentative agreements for workers in four bargaining units who negotiate with the federal Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Among […] Read more
A new name, some familiar programs and a bunch of new money
Federal-provincial ag funding deal has new initiatives, old favourites and sizeable grants
Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you been itching to buy temperature and moisture measuring cables for your grain bin? Or maybe an imaging drone or some fancy soil sensors? If so, there may be up to $150,000 available to you. Through its new five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Ottawa and the province will split the cost of a number […] Read more
Is there too much green in the new ag funding deal?
The environment is a big focus of new deal; income and marketing not so much
Reading Time: 4 minutes The new $508-million agriculture funding deal between Ottawa and the provincial government is getting mixed reviews. “Overall it’s a pretty good framework,” said Alberta Canola vice-chair Ian Chitwood. “From Alberta Canola’s perspective, we really support it. It’s a pretty well-rounded suite of programs so I think it’s going to be good for producers.” But as […] Read more
Farmers worried emissions targets will become mandatory
Ag minister vows they won’t but AgCanada survey finds producers remain ‘very concerned’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers remain concerned about federal emissions reduction targets and whether they’ll remain voluntary. Lots of producers are worried about Ottawa’s goal of reducing fertilizer-related greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, and that’s reflected in the “What We Heard” report recently issued by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said Shannon Sereda, senior manager of government […] Read more
Government funds mental health
Reading Time: < 1 minute Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced $168,440 in funding for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing during the inaugural National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health in early March. The mission of this new not-for-profit organization is to lead research and roll out initiatives in collaboration with community organizations across the country to address […] Read more
Cash advance window for farmers now open
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers can now apply for cash advances for the 2023 growing season. Producers can get up to $1 million with the first $250,000 interest-free. The latter is worth more this year because interest rates are so much higher, note administrators of the Advance Payments Program. “With rising interest rates, the savings a farmer can realize […] Read more
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