Barry Wilson

OTTAWA – A sharp increase in live hog exports to the United States this year, along with a decrease in exports of pork, has alarmed the meat processing industry. Robert Weaver of the Canadian Meat Council said the figures run contrary to the government and industry goal of having more job-creating processing and value-adding in […] Read more

OTTAWA – A British Columbia Reform MP last week cited food biotechnology skepticism as a reason to oppose government plans for a new food inspection agency. Daphne Jennings said she is uneasy that genetically altered foods and novel foods are being prepared for the market with little control or consumer knowledge. She suggested the new […] Read more

OTTAWA – MPs mulling over issues of rural development last week were offered some practical advice from one small prairie town that has been trying to diversify. Lyle Knutson, an Elbow, Sask. grain farmer, told members of the Commons agriculture committee that his town’s economic failures and successes might provide lessons. “In spite of limited […] Read more

OTTAWA – Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale has promised to abide by the results of the February prairie plebiscite on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board’s barley jurisdiction. “We are going to move on the results of this vote,” Goodale said in a Dec. 5 interview. “At the moment, I do not have a scenario […] Read more

OTTAWA – The decision of a trade disputes panel last week that Canadian supply management protections are legal was a double blow for the United States. Blow number one came when the five-member panel of international trade lawyers were unanimous in ruling that contrary to American arguments, Canada’s system of high protective tariffs does not […] Read more

OTTAWA – Business officials were on Parliament Hill last week urging MPs to reject a government suggestion that grain be given special status in new labor law. Grant Mebs of Vancouver, of the Waterfront Foremen Employers Association, said it is unfair to exporters of other bulk commodities if grain is singled out. The Canadian Chamber […] Read more

OTTAWA – Canadian farmers are a record $25.7 billion in debt and the news provoked recent words of caution about the dangers of assuming too heavy a debt load. In the past two years, despite strong commodity prices and higher farm incomes, debt has actually increased more than nine percent. Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale said […] Read more

OTTAWA – The government’s new farm debt mediation system moved a step closer to reality last week when a Commons committee approved it and sent it back to the Commons for final debate. However, some MP skepticism surfaced as the Commons agriculture committee approved several amendments that will put the new program under more political […] Read more

OTTAWA – Prairie farm lobbyists won’t have Nick Mulder to kick around much longer, and vice versa. The federal deputy minister of transport has locked horns over the years with many prairie farm lobbyists as they tried to influence federal transportation policy. Prime minister Jean ChrŽtien announced Dec. 6 that Mulder retires Jan. 20. From […] Read more