Neither the railways nor grain shippers are happy with the federal proposal to temporarily expand the availability of regulated interswitching between Canada’s two national railways — but for different reasons. The Railway Association of Canada says extending the statutory zone in which a carrier must pick up a shipper’s cars and deliver them to a […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
All people must be put first in Alberta wildfire fight
Rural firefighters say local farmers and ranchers can be among their most valuable assets when tackling wildfires such as those now raging in Alberta and the other prairie provinces. Rural residents know the fire areas intimately, including location of water sources and access roads. But conflicts can flare in cases where people outside of the […] Read more
Feds find balance on gene editing file
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the federal government’s recently updated guidance for the use of gene editing in plant breeding didn’t please everyone, but it certainly pleased many. The feds did an admirable job of finding balance in a thorny issue. Much of the agricultural industry has been clamouring for Ottawa to confirm […] Read more
Bigger farms may prompt uncomfortable questions
Clearly, this is a trend that isn’t likely to go away, so it’s important for the agricultural sector to figure out how it should be managed.
Farmers need a solo voice from the whole choir
The whole of agriculture needs to acknowledge the importance of each part to the health of the entire sector.
Tagging for shows and fairs should be up to the owner
Are you taking animals to town for a show, rodeo or fair? Are you responsible for seeing tags are in place when you hit the road, at the event and reporting any changes to the animals’ registered status should re-tagging be needed? The current answer is yes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed changes […] Read more
Putting money where foot-and-mouth could be
Canada’s export-dependent economy has limited opportunities for domestic growth when it comes to agriculture and food. With 40 million Canadian souls in sight, (we are just 440,000 short), growing our population by one million people last year was a great accomplishment, especially for makers of food or jobs. But as Canada grows its agricultural capacity, […] Read more
Keep political bitterness out of Canadian food
Some things are more apparent than real. If the price of food jumps by 15 or 20 percent due to rising global inflation, it is assumed the difference between today’s price and last year’s price is in someone’s pocket. But whose? Canadian politicians have an opportunity to explain the components of food prices. The House […] Read more
New biofuel policy could crush Canadian dreams
Canadian canola producers have long sought closer-to-home markets for their products. The search was about to be realized as global demand for biofuels shot up, chasing new non-petroleum energy regulations around the planet. Projected demand for biofuels drove so much interest that companies including Viterra, Richardson, Cargill, Federated Co-ops, AGT and Parkland Corp. all declared […] Read more
Proposed U.S. label rule poised to harm Canada
Born in the U.S.A. could be more than a song lyric. Once again it could see American agricultural goods, especially livestock products, sorted by country of origin. Yes, it sounds very much like COOL — the mandatory country-of-origin labelling that deeply damaged Canadian red meat industries in the past. This new proposal would see the […] Read more
