Carney to visit China
Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit China from January 13 to 17. This is the first visit to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017.
Carney’s office said the aim of the visit is to talk trade, energy, agriculture and international security. The prime minister has previously emphasized a need to restart broad engagement with China.
Canadian agriculture will be watching for movement on tariffs. China has placed hefty levies on Canadian canola, peas, pork and seafood, moves generally thought to be retaliation for Canada’s 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Agriculture minister Heath MacDonald visited China in November and said that visit was a sign of thawing relations between the two countries.
Analyst looks at how farmers interact with inaccurate information online
A University of Waterloo analyst is looking to hear from Ontario farmers about how agricultural misinformation has affected them.
PhD student Sid Heeg’s study includes a survey that looks at where farmers are encountering misinformation about agriculture, the subject of that false information, and how often they see it.
It also looks at how farmers themselves may contribute to the spread of misinformation –
for example, narratives around the cull of ostriches on a BC farm.
Heeg said a better understanding of how farmers interact with online misinformation could inform future methods of connecting with the public. It could be important for how farmers and farm groups advocate for themselves while working to bridge a rural-urban divide.
The survey runs to the end of January.
Technical skills gap looms for agriculture
Farm technology is changing so fast that the sector is struggling to find people with the skills to keep up, according to some experts.
Agricultural technology has advanced more rapidly than many sectors said Gary Bohn, a branch manager with equipment dealer Enns Brothers. He cited incoming tech like AI-driven weed sprayers and fully autonomous equipment.
As this machinery becomes mainstream, dealers will need people who can diagnose electronics and software.
Need for these skills has underpinned new programming at schools like Assiniboine College in Manitoba. The school has plans for, or has already launched, training in digital agriculture, mechatronics and tech-heavy greenhouse horticulture. Local agribusinesses advised during program development.
Research from RBC suggests Canada isn’t keeping pace with ag innovation and skilled workers. RBC recently pledged 5 million dollars toward Manitoba agriculture initiatives. These include hackathons, and micro-credentials designed to attract students to the sector.
