Agriculture ministers meeting Tuesday in Ottawa included (l-r) Devin Dreeshen (Alberta), David Marit (Saskatchewan), Bloyce Thompson (P.E.I.), Andre Lamontagne (Quebec), Marie-Claude Bibeau (Canada), Ernie Hardeman (Ontario), Blaine Pedersen (Manitoba), Lana Popham (B.C.) and Keith Colwell (Nova Scotia). (Photo courtesy AAFC)

Feds, provinces plan minor tweaks to AgriStability

Ottawa — Minor changes are coming to AgriStability following Tuesday’s meeting between federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial counterparts. Major changes, however, will have to wait. A full review of federal business risk management (BRM) will be completed in April, with the findings discussed when the federal, provincial and territorial ministers meet again […] Read more

Neil Ellis, shown here speaking in Belleville, Ont. in December 2018, is the new parliamentary secretary to Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. (NEllis.liberal.ca)

Central Ontario MP named parliamentary ag secretary

A former Belleville, Ont. mayor will now play a backup role to the federal agriculture minister in the House of Commons. Neil Ellis, the Liberal MP for the Bay of Quinte constituency in central Ontario since 2015, was named Thursday as parliamentary secretary for the minister of agriculture and agri-food, Marie-Claude Bibeau. Ellis was a […] Read more


Marie-Claude Bibeau speaks at a Montreal convention on March 7, 2019.  Photo: Allan Dawson/File

Bibeau remains federal agriculture minister in shuffle

Updated, Nov. 21— Quebec MP Marie-Claude Bibeau retains her role as federal minister of agriculture and agri-food in Wednesday’s cabinet shake-up for the Liberals’ minority government. Bibeau will join her colleagues — including returning Transport Minister Marc Garneau and new Labour Minister Filomena Tassi, a Hamilton MP and former minister for seniors — in having […] Read more

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Luc Berthold and Alistair MacGregor all held their seats in the Oct. 21, 2019 federal election. (Dave Bedard photos; MacGregor video screengrab from AlistairMacgregor.ndp.ca)

Voters return Canada’s agriculture minister, ag critics

Canada’s incumbent minister of agriculture and agri-food and all three of her opposition critics in the House of Commons held their seats in Monday night’s federal election. As of about 2 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals held onto power in a minority government with 157 of 338 seats, ahead of Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives […] Read more



(DrummondExport.com)

Label problem caused China’s suspension of two pork shippers

Winnipeg/Ottawa | Reuters — China’s suspension of two Canadian pork exporters’ permits was due to a labeling problem, Canada’s agriculture minister said, adding that she was hopeful of it being resolved. China’s action against two Canadian pork companies, announced by Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday, widened a diplomatic rift between the countries. On Thursday, […] Read more


Marie-Claude Bibeau (centre), shown here Feb. 11 announcing federal funding for a Smucker’s Foods dairy plant at Sherbrooke, Que., is Canada’s new agriculture minister. (MCBibeau.Liberal.ca)

Mini-shuffle includes new federal agriculture minister

Vancouver MP Jody Wilson-Raybould’s exit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet has led to a mini-shuffle and a new federal minister for agriculture and agri-food. Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for the Quebec riding of Compton-Stanstead since 2015, replaced Lawrence MacAulay as agriculture minister on Friday, becoming the first woman to handle the ag portfolio. MacAulay, the […] Read more