Vina Del Mar, Chile | Reuters — The remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are seeking a way forward on the trade pact, they said on Wednesday, as some emphasized the need for deals to address concerns about workers’ rights and other issues. The TPP, which originally covered some 40 per cent of global […] Read more
Pacific trade pact countries seek ‘progressive’ way forward
Snow, avalanches, rain delay grain movement to U.S. ports
Chicago | Reuters — Severe winter weather has slowed rail deliveries of crops to shippers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, sending freight rates soaring and prompting Asian buyers to seek fill-in loads as they wait for the backlog at ports to clear. Blizzards, avalanches and heavy rain in recent weeks have hit transport of corn, […] Read more
With demand, deregulation, ‘opportunities abound’ for hemp
CNS Canada — Aggressive contracting in the hemp sector is expected to bump up Canadian acres — another benefit for growers who will experience less red tape this year. “We’ve seen a lot of activity on the contracting side for growers,” said Kim Shukla, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance at Steinbach, Man. […] Read more
Japan, Korea block certain U.S. wheat varieties
Chicago | Reuters — Japan and South Korea have both taken steps to block certain imports of U.S. wheat after unapproved genetically-modified (GMO) plants from Monsanto seeds were found growing in Washington state, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Monday. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said it will […] Read more
Hemp industry scrambling to meet new Korean demand
CNS Canada — An explosion in demand for Canadian hemp out of South Korea is welcome news for the industry, but strict regulations may hamper just how much of that demand will be met this year. “The doors have blown off the market in Korea for hemp,” said Kim Shukla, executive director of the Canadian […] Read more
Korea finds hogs infected with foot-and-mouth
Seoul | Reuters –– South Korea has detected foot-and-mouth in a southwestern hog farm, the first such discovery in nine months and a blow to authorities pushing to contain the disease. The case involved a type of the disease that animals are inoculated against in South Korea, with all 670 hogs at the infected farm […] Read more
Korea’s temporary ban on Canadian beef lifted
South Korea’s temporary ban on imports of Canadian beef and veal, imposed after Canada’s discovery of a 19th case of BSE in February, has been lifted as of Wednesday. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the Korean government’s decision Thursday. South Korea had re-imposed its ban on Canadian beef after the […] Read more
Farmers. Do you know your customer? Try this pop quiz
Alberta exported a record $9.7 billion of agri-food products last year — but where did they go?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers are being urged these days to know their customers, so here’s a pop quiz based on the province’s latest agri-food export stats. 1) The U.S. has long been the No. 1 importer of Alberta agri-food products (raw commodities and processed products). What country is No. 2 and did its purchases go up or down […] Read more
Officials stress need for testing
The latest BSE case only increases the need for Canada to test 30,000 animals yearly
Reading Time: 4 minutes Keep calm and carry on testing. That’s the message going out to producers following the latest case of BSE in an Alberta cow. “At times like this, it’s as important, if not more so, to continue with surveillance and be vigilant,” Canadian Food Inspection Agency official Craig Price told attendees at the recent Alberta Beef […] Read more
S. Korea blocks Canadian beef again over BSE case
Seoul | Reuters –– South Korea has halted imports of Canadian beef after Canada on Friday confirmed its first case of mad cow disease since 2011, the South Korean agriculture ministry said. South Korea was seeking more information about the outbreak and discussing public safety with relevant authorities, the ministry said in a statement. The […] Read more
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