Canada's proposed grocery code of conduct will usher in a new era of fairness and transparency and stabilize grower incomes, said the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) in a statement Thursday.

Grocery code will stabilize producer incomes, say fruit and vegetable growers
The code has hit recent speed bumps as grocery giants Loblaw and Walmart have stalled signing on

Farmgate milk price hike delayed to May
Stakeholders say increase should be postponed amid food inflation concerns
The farmgate price of milk will go up May 1, 2024, rather than Feb. 1, after a review of the national pricing formula and consultation with stakeholders. The increase will be 1.77 per cent, or about 1.5 cents per litre for milk going into processing plants, the Canadian Dairy Commission said Wednesday. The commission had […] Read more

Hold off on milk price hike, dairy farmers say
Dairy commission to consult again before making annual adjustment
The process to set the next national price adjustment for Canadian milk will now take an extra week, triggered by stakeholder objections, for a round of consultations — in which the national dairy farmer group plans to call for a delay on any increase. The Canadian Dairy Commission — the Crown corporation managing Canada’s milk […] Read more

Major grocery chains agree to help stabilize prices, feds say
Any moves must not undercut farmgate prices, government warns
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s five major grocery chains have agreed to help the government in its bid to stabilize soaring prices, a senior minister said on Monday, following talks to address an issue that is hurting the ruling Liberals. Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made the announcement after two hours of what he said were […] Read more

Trudeau summons top grocers over rising food prices
Major grocers' level of profit 'does not make sense,' PM says
Ottawa | Reuters — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he had summoned the country’s top grocers to help find solution to the surging food prices and vowed to cut federal taxes on new rental buildings, as he fights an affordability crisis that has dented his party’s opinion poll ratings. After meeting with Liberal […] Read more

Competition Bureau to probe soaring food prices
Retail food prices seen outpacing inflation
Reuters — Canada’s competition watchdog said on Monday it would examine factors impacting soaring food prices and whether more competition in the grocery stores sector could help lower costs for Canadians. Price rises for store-bought food have been outpacing the broader annual inflation rate for 10 consecutive months, and grew 11.4 per cent in September, […] Read more

Panicked shoppers clear out flood-hit B.C.’s grocery stores
Reuters — Shoppers in British Columbia have emptied grocery shelves following catastrophic flooding, although the shortages are as much down to panic buying as disrupted supply chains, industry associations said on Thursday. Even as flood waters start to recede, some parts of the province are expected to face to temporary shortages of dairy supplies, with […] Read more

Industry-led code of conduct for food retailers on horizon
Fees create 'uncertainty' for producers, processors
A report from a federal-provincial working group says the retail sector has levied an increasing number of fees on suppliers, and is proposing the formation of a code of conduct as a potential solution. Canada’s agriculture ministers are now calling on industry to lead the process. They had formed the working group to study the […] Read more

Beyond Meat lines up Canadian patty co-packer
U.S. company launches 'latest iteration' of burger line
One of the names tied closest to the plant protein-based meat substitute sector has enlisted an unnamed Quebec operation to make its beef-similar patties for the Canadian retail market. Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat on Wednesday launched the “latest iteration” of its flagship Beyond Burger, billed as “produced locally at a co-manufacturing facility in Canada” and […] Read more

Federal surplus food program now taking applications
Qualified NGOs sought to move, distribute perishables to 'populations in need'
A federal program to get food to those who need it, using stockpiles of perishables created by the COVID-19-related shutdown of the dining sector, is now taking applications. The $50 million Surplus Food Rescue Program — which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telegraphed in a funding announcement May 5 — will take applications from “organizations addressing […] Read more