Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - In light of the recent completion of the Canada-South Korean Free Trade Agreement negotiations, the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced today that he will lead a large delegation of agriculture groups on a trade mission to South Korea. "The agreement, Canada's very first in Asia, is projected to... Read More
Category: News
With this mornings announcement by the University of Guelph that the Kemptville and Alfred campuses are closing, many people in Ontario agriculture are very surprised and concerned. I had the chance to talk to University of Guelph's VP of Communications, Chuck Cunningham about the announcement. I asked Chuck was this the government's call, how many... Read More
In a time when the Premier of Ontario is also the Agricultural Minister, it appears that the University of Guelph is rumored to be closing the Kemptville and Alfred campuses for budgetary reasons. The Kemptville campus has been in operation for 97 years making it a cornerstone of the agriculture community in the area. According... Read More
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and Transport Minister Lisa Raitt were in Winnipeg today to announce an order in council placing minimum service requirements on CN and CP railways. Each railway must move 5,500 cars or 500,000 MT of grain per week, beginning in 4 weeks' time. Failure to do so will result in fines up... Read More
Beef Advocacy Canada has launched its advocacy and education program. Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) along with funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Association (ALMA), have brought together industry partners to develop a comprehensive program that will walk future beef advocates through the entire industry from gate to plate, a press... Read More
Viterra Inc. and Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) announced today that Viterra is investing $1 million to support Cigi in its ongoing efforts to promote Canadian field crops to customers in domestic and international markets. As a result of this partnership, Cigi’s main classroom with be renamed the “Viterra Knowledge Centre.” From the press release:... Read More
Although porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) DNA was found in pig feed common to the majority of infected farms that had been found by early February in Ontario, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cannot confirm the feed is the vector by which the disease entered these farms. The feed manufacturer in question, Grand Valley... Read More
It won't be business as usual, but if a newly-signed deal goes through, there may be at least some business happening at the Leamington tomato processing plant going forward. A group of investors, Highbury Canco Corporation, has a signed letter of intent with H.J. Heinz Company that will see the consortium take over the plant.... Read More
The Chief Veterinary Office of Manitoba has confirmed and the Manitoba Pork Council has announced that Manitoba's first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, has been found on a wean to finish farm in the southeast corner of the province. The positive test was confirmed through the National Centre for Foreign Disease Control... Read More
U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Bipartisan Agriculture Act of 2013 — The Farm Bill — today at Michigan State University. In the States, the signing of this bill has been largely controversial, though it's touted as a win for many sectors. "It supports local food by investing in things like farmers markets and organic... Read More