As Canadians brace for a COVID-19 vaccine shortage, it remains unclear when temporary foreign workers — thousands of whom are employed in meat packing plants — will receive it. On Jan. 15, Canada’s minister responsible for vaccine procurement, Anita Anand, said the country’s supply of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine was experiencing a delay because the […] Read more
Stories by Glacier FarmMedia
Canada, Indonesia explore trade deal
Canada is exploring the merits of a trade agreement with Indonesia. International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced Jan. 11 that Canada was beginning public consultations. “Canada is committed to diversifying trade across the Asia-Pacific region to create new trade and investment opportunities for all Canadians,” Ng said in a statement. “Deepening trade ties with Indonesia […] Read more
Federal ag minister looks back at 2020
D.C. Fraser, Glacier FarmMedia’s Ottawa correspondent, recently talked to federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau about the year that just was. Questions and answers have been edited for length. Q: Looking back at the year, what was the biggest personal challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic for you? A: Trying to identify those who were the most […] Read more
Lack of detail in U.K. trade deal raises concern
Despite boasting of signing a transitional agreement, Canada may not have a trade deal ready with the United Kingdom by the time 2021 rolls around. Exporters could be forced to pay British tariffs if the deal isn’t ratified into law by the end of the year. Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Ng has failed to […] Read more
Prairie provinces have AgriStability proposal concerns
Prairie provinces continue to review the federal government’s proposed changes to AgriStability, but already it seems unlikely they will accept them. During the final day of federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers’ meeting on Nov. 27, Ottawa proposed removing the program’s maximum reference margin and increasing the compensation rate from 70 to 80 percent (retroactive to 2020, and […] Read more
Provinces ponder feds’ BRM counter proposal
No consensus on changes to business risk management programs was reached during the latest round of federal-provincial-territorial agriculture minister meetings. After the meetings ended this afternoon, federal agriculture minister Mari-Claude Bibeau said Ottawa was willing to maintain the current cost sharing of the programs at a 60-40 split between her government and the provinces. Bibeau’s […] Read more
APAS targets food processing red tape
A federal committee continues to explore ways of increasing Canada’s food processing sector. During a Nov. 24 meeting, Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Todd Lewis said the processing sector will need to grow to meet ambitious export targets put in place by federal and provincial governments. “If we are to build for the ambitious […] Read more
Bibeau commits to supply management compensation by March
Federal Minister of Agriculture Marie Claude Bibeau reaffirmed a pledge to compensate supply-managed industries for trade deals during a Nov. 26 committee appearance. The federal government offered its first installment of a $1.75 billion payout to dairy producers to cover market losses from negotiations of two trade deals last year. Bibeau said the federal government […] Read more
U.K., Canada ink interim trade deal
Canada’s transitional trade deal with the United Kingdom will offer agri-food exporters some stability, but concern over non-tariff barriers persist. On Nov. 21, Canada and the U.K. announced an interim deal, allowing the parties more runway to finalize a comprehensive trade agreement. “This trade continuity agreement between Canada and the United Kingdom assures we maintain […] Read more
Dates set for ag ministers’ meetings
Federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture will meet Nov. 20 and Nov. 27 to discuss improving business risk management programs. Federal agriculture minister Marie Claude Bibeau said she is confident counterparts from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia will be willing to contribute their share to make significant improvements to AgriStability, the program most criticized […] Read more
