The Crop Logistics Working Group allows industry players to discuss transportation issues without the politics, says official
An industry group that has been advising Ottawa on issues related to grain transportation since 2011 will remain in place for now. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced May 16 that the Crop Logistics Working Group (CLWG) would be re-established for a fourth mandate. The CLWG consists of representatives from across the grain industry. It […] Read moreNews
Is there a loophole for dairy exports?
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s concern about Canada possibly trying to export dairy products under the Class 7 designation isn’t necessarily far-fetched, says a dairy industry analyst. “If we have non-subsidized exports, (then) those non-subsidized exports are not bound by that cap,” said Al Mussell of Agri Food Economic Systems, referring to a 2003 […] Read more
Transport act changes omit costing review
The proposed Transportation Modernization Act, although widely supported, comes without a full railway costing review. However, that was a Liberal pledge during the 2015 election campaign and something farm and commodity organizations have long called for. Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Todd Lewis said the issue is still top-of-mind for producers. “We are still […] Read more
Alberta gov’t waives fees for green certificate ag programs to boost employment in ag sector
Participants in Alberta Green Certificate agricultural programs will have course fees covered by the provincial government as of this fall. The green certificate program was established in 1975 through the agriculture department to address labour market needs for the sector. Students can enroll in 10 programs: beekeeper production technician cow-calf beef production technician dairy production […] Read more
Salvage Grade for crops created
About 500,000 acres of the 2016 Alberta crop remain to be harvested, according to estimates. The low quality of grain that is being harvested has prompted Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. to introduce a temporary Salvage Grade factor to deal with the high volume of low quality cereals. “Clients who have sold grain at a […] Read more
Wheat groups grapple with cross border sales issue
Under current rules, American bulk wheat imports are not eligible for top milling grade prices even if the variety is registered in Canada
Two prairie wheat organizations are offering up different views on how the Canadian grain handling system should treat American-grown grain delivered to western Canadian elevators. The Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat) has urged Ottawa to launch public consultations before making any changes to the Canadian grain grading system or offering any concessions to American-grown […] Read moreRactopamine tainted pork an isolated case
No further cases of ractopamine contamination have been found in Canada or China, following the discovery in May of a single sample shipped from Quebec. Canadian and Chinese plants have been checking for the substance in shipped Canadian pork. The isolated case involved pig feet shipped frozen to China, and while it is known that […] Read more
U.S.-Canada trade concerns manageable
Meeting the American government’s agricultural demands shouldn’t be too hard, say leading Canadian politicians and farm representatives. And the looming North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation should be seized upon as a way of making future trade flow more freely, they say. After meeting with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in Toronto June 5, […] Read more
U.S. pork producers come out swinging against COOL
DES MOINES, Iowa — When U.S. hog farmers have something to say, politicians listen. The National Pork Producers Council has sway in Washington, D.C., because the U.S. pork industry employs more than 500,000 people and adds $39 billion annually to the nation’s gross domestic product. Given those figures, the NPPC might be the most powerful […] Read more
Ag Notes
New online tool to manage risk Farm Management Canada has received $786,921 in federal funding to develop a new online agricultural risk management tool called AgriShield. It will help farmers make real-time assessments of the potential negative impact of constant risks beyond their control such as flooding, pests, disease and other extreme weather events. For […] Read more
