Admitting he has a problem with alcohol, Devin Dreeshen resigned as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and forestry this morning. He has been replaced by Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner. “This morning, I offered Premier Jason Kenney my resignation as minister of agriculture and forestry and he has accepted,” Dreeshen said on Twitter on Nov. 5. “I […] Read more
Alberta ag minister resigns among allegations of heavy drinking
Coronavirus infections at U.S. meat plants far higher than previous estimates, House subcommittee hears
Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters. The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef , and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80 percent […] Read more
Bibeau keeps role as federal ag-minister, Canada gets a new environment minister
Canada’s 44th Parliament was sworn in today in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled a number of his ministers from their previous roles, and today’s cabinet shuffle is a result of the federal election held on Sept. 20. Marie Claude-Bibeau maintains her role as federal Minister of Agriculture, a […] Read more
Italy vetoes sale of seed producer to Chinese-owned Syngenta
Rome | Reuters – Italy has prevented Chinese-owned group Syngenta from buying vegetable seed producer Verisem, government officials said, underscoring Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s commitment to shield key assets from unwanted foreign bids. The decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Oct. 19 but not yet made public, marks the first time Italy has vetoed […] Read more
Kelly Smith-Fraser new AFSC chair
Reading Time: < 1 minute Pine Lake rancher and former Alberta Beef Producers chair Kelly Smith-Fraser has been appointed chair of Agriculture Financial Services Corporation’s board of directors. “Kelly Smith-Fraser is well known in Alberta’s agriculture industry as a smart, driven leader,” Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen said in a news release. Smith-Fraser has also served on the boards of Results […] Read more
Ottawa’s farm aid pledge didn’t come with the details
Last-minute announcement committed $500 million but program specifics have to be hashed out
Reading Time: 3 minutes They cut it close, but federal Liberals came through on their pledge to kick in their share of disaster funding for hard-hit livestock producers. However, the last-minute announcement means federal bureaucrats will have to work out the rules and procedures for emergency aid from the AgriRecovery program. Read more: Drought relief payments to start flowing […] Read more
Livestock tax deferral program kicks in early
Program is aimed at helping producers rebuild their herds
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa has started up its Livestock Tax Deferral months ahead of normal to give producers who have to sell cattle a better economic route to rebuilding their herds next year. Alberta Beef Producers and other cattle groups had requested the earlier-than-usual start to the program. Some also want an expansion of the deferral provision beyond just […] Read more
Prospects for ag research in Alberta still up in the air
New research agency is finding its feet but uncertainty abounds
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s new research funding body has made some progress over the last six months — but it’s still very much a work in progress. “It’s been a pretty hectic time for them with lots of growing pains, and there’s still lots of room for improvement, but we are getting support and hoping for improvements over […] Read more
Made-in-Alberta carbon tax poised to return, but no details yet
Farm groups want carbon capture payments, premier says ‘all options’ on the table
Reading Time: 3 minutes Premier Jason Kenney isn’t saying what’s next after losing a court battle to declare the carbon tax unconstitutional — but his options appear to be limited. “There are better ways to help the environment than by punishing people for living ordinary lives, for heating their homes and driving to work,” Kenney said following the Supreme […] Read more
It’s a start but farm groups and governments eye bigger changes to AgriStability
Changes to the federal farm support program get generally favourable reviews, but calls for a better program aren’t going away
Reading Time: 5 minutes Better, but not great. And let’s come up with something that really works. Those two sentiments characterized most of the comments about the recently agreed-to change to AgriStability. And most producers would add ‘still really complicated’ as the decision by Ottawa and the provinces to scrap the ‘reference margin limit’ will impact individual farms in […] Read more
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