supply management Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

Alberta’s egg farmers didn’t have to reduce production but surging retail sales and plummeting commercial sales required major shifts.

Supply management lives up to its name during pandemic

Chicken and egg sectors had to make quick adjustments as retail sales soared and restaurants shuttered

By Alexis Kienlen July 7, 2020

It’s been a roller-coaster, but supply-managed commodities have been able to quickly adjust to huge swings in demand caused by the pandemic. “The chicken industry has been very quick to respond to the shifts in the market from COVID-19,” said Karen Kirkwood, executive director of Alberta Chicken Producers. “We’re able to make sure there’s the […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Poultry/Eggs

Bloc Quebecois president tapped as party’s ag critic

By GFM Staff November 13, 2019

The Bloc Quebecois will head into the House of Commons next month with a new critic handling the agriculture portfolio. Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has named Yves Perron, the rookie MP for Berthier-Maskinonge, as the party’s critic for agriculture, agri-food and supply management. As the Bloc’s ag critic, Perron replaces Mirabel MP Simon Marcil, who […] Read more

General, Markets

Food, farming not expected to be big election issues

By John Greig September 17, 2019

Canadians don’t think that food and agriculture will be a significant issue in the current federal election. A survey conducted Sept. 9 and released Tuesday by Angus Reid Global with the support of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab shows 31 per cent of Canadians believe food and agriculture will be a prime electoral issue during […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

Dairy issue nags as U.S., Canada prepare to sign trade pact

By Chris Prentice, David Ljunggren November 27, 2018

New York/Ottawa | Reuters — Dairy remains a sticking point between the United States and Canada as the countries prepare to sign a new North American trade pact this week, according to four sources familiar with the matter. U.S. objections to Canada’s protected internal market for dairy products was a major challenge facing negotiators during […] Read more

Although he’s smiling in this photo, dairy farmer David Wiens says he is deeply worried about the future of the Canadian dairy sector. Many are very pessimistic and some are thinking of exiting the milk business, he said.

Dairy Cattle, News

USMCA fallout: Some milk producers looking to exit

Dairy leaders looking for a ‘way forward’ but many are questioning their future in the sector

By Jennifer Blair October 18, 2018

Dairy farmers in Alberta and across Canada are considering whether there’s a future in their sector — or if they should get out of the business, say farm leaders. Some may do that before the year is out, said David Wiens, vice-president of Dairy Farmers of Canada. “Over the next few months as we look […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Machinery & Shop, Reuters

Trudeau takes Quebec dairy gamble to preserve big trade deal

By Allison Lampert, David Ljunggren October 2, 2018

Ottawa/Montreal | Reuters — With his political future at stake, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will mount a charm offensive to placate dairy farmers who say he sold them out in order to win approval of a continental trade deal. Compounding Trudeau’s challenges in the influential province of Quebec, where many dairy farmers are based, […] Read more

These cows at Airport Dairy near Fort Macleod — along with all their Canadian cousins — have unexpectedly found their way into the centre of high-stakes NAFTA negotiations.

Dairy Cattle, Livestock

The milk in the middle of the high-stakes NAFTA drama

A new milk category thrust dairy farmers into a political firestorm — so what is Class 7 all about?

By Jennifer Blair September 10, 2018

It seemed like a win-win — until a new milk category caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump and unexpectedly became one of the key sticking points in NAFTA negotiations. It’s called Class 7, which is milk protein isolates (dried milk powders high in protein). It was introduced in 2016 in response to diafiltered […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, General, Markets, Reuters

Canada, U.S. push toward NAFTA deal by Friday

By Julie Gordon, Sharay Angulo August 30, 2018

Washington | Reuters — Top NAFTA negotiators from Canada and the U.S. increased the pace of their negotiations Thursday to resolve final differences to meet a Friday deadline, with their Mexican counterpart on standby to rejoin the talks soon. Despite some contentious issues still on the table, the increasingly positive tone contrasted with U.S. President […] Read more

Dairy Cattle

Dairy farmer, advocate Bettina Schuurmans, 55

By Alberta Farmer Staff July 22, 2018

Funeral services will be held Wednesday in Elmira, Ont. for well known dairy farmer Bettina Schuurmans, who with her husband took to the road this summer in support of Canada’s dairy sector. Schuurmans and husband Henk, who owned and operated Milky Wave Farms near Elmira with their sons, had been on the road on their […] Read more

Livestock, Reuters

As U.S., Canada spar, farm hopes ride on two men in lobster boat

By Rod Nickel, Tom Polansek June 15, 2018

Reuters — While Justin Trudeau vowed last week not to be pushed around and U.S. President Donald Trump called the Canadian prime minister “weak,” two key officials in their governments with a seemingly harmonious relationship were making fishing plans. On Friday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited the farm of Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay […] Read more

India’s Modi refuses to back down on farm reforms despite protests

CNH to work with Microsoft, Accenture on ‘smart’ vehicles

Tighter timeline set for dairy farmers’ trade pact compensation

GFM Network News