“Meet with your member of Parliament annually. That’s how you inform politicians. That’s where you can gain some real momentum and leverage. It only takes one MP to stand up at caucus and say I visited my constituents and this is the big issue,” said Dave Carey.
Share concerns, build relationships with MPs, lobbyist says
Stay informed and hold representatives to account regardless of affiliation, farmers hear
Intergovernmental collaboration key to Canada’s agricultural sustainability
Differing regional priorities often complicate collaborative climate efforts in agriculture sector
Reading Time: 4 minutes Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) government collaboration is vital to the future of Canada’s agriculture sector, said panelists at a May 31 webinar. Organized by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, the webinar focused on a report by University of Toronto professor Grace Skogstad entitled Towards a Collaborative Sustainable Agriculture Strategy for Canada. Skogstad opened the […] Read more
The interconnections between species are deep and interwoven
COVID-19 has put bats into the spotlight, and research shows how deeply everything is connected
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the last column I introduced the concept of systems change for the benefit of human and animal health. Fortunately, there is an avenue to work with human and animal doctors, scientists and experts towards a healthy world and it is called One Health. One Health is defined as a “collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach […] Read more
Kuwait to rebuild Beirut port grain silo after blast
Beirut | Reuters — Kuwait said it will rebuild Lebanon’s only large grain silo that was destroyed by the massive Beirut port explosion, raising fears of food shortages in a country already in financial meltdown. The destruction of the 120,000-tonne capacity structure at the port, the main entry point for food imports, meant buyers must […] Read more
Agricultural Youth Council members introduced
Jobs for next generation also come online
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has named the 25 young people chosen to sit on the inaugural Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. Members of the council (see list below) are expected to offer suggestions on government priorities and identify problems and solutions for Bibeau. “That was quite a challenge actually, because we received over 800 candidates,” Bibeau […] Read more
Ahead of any emergency, plan for the worst
Disaster planning is not a pleasant task but it's vital that producers have a plan, expert says
Identify your resources and review your plan, says an expert in emergency planning for livestock. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very different type of emergency, said Rebecca Husted, a teacher of technical large animal emergency rescue. “Most disasters like fires and floods have people moving around, but in COVID-19, people are not supposed to move […] Read more
Lift carbon tax on grain drying, say farm groups
Fuels used for drying grain have not been exempted from the federal carbon tax
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm groups have fired off urgent appeals for government financial help for producers struggling with a weather-disrupted harvest made worse by the imposition of the federal carbon tax on fuel used to dry grain. A coalition of Alberta commodity groups as well as the Grain Farmers of Ontario sent requests directly to Prime Minister Justin […] Read more
First UCP provincial budget cuts agriculture spending
Government forecasts $34-million drop in ag research funding over four years
Reading Time: 3 minutes Government-led agricultural research will face cuts under the United Conservatives’ new provincial budget. The budget, released Oct. 24, will slash spending in the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry by $88 million, dropping the department’s budget from $987 million in 2018-19 to $879 million in 2019-20. Within the department, the primary agriculture division — which manages research […] Read more
Province eases up on new Class 1 licensing rules but controversy persists
The Humboldt bus crash has thrust training of semi drivers into question but there’s no easy fix
Reading Time: 4 minutes The province is exempting drivers who recently sought to obtain a Class 1 licence from costly new training requirements — but the controversial issue is far from settled. “It’s kind of nice that they’re relaxing it for a few people — I hope they have more coming,” said Kendall Bevans, a Cardston-area farmer who has […] Read more
Is China buying U.S. soy? Washington shutdown keeps traders guessing
Chicago | Reuters –– Commodity traders are in the dark because of the partial U.S. government shutdown, unable to see daily and weekly reports of agricultural exports to obtain clues as to whether China is following through with promises to buy grain and soy amid the ongoing trade war. Traders have been anxiously awaiting proof […] Read more
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