Articles by Alex Binkley

Jan 22 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Quick agreement to proposed changes needed by producers, they say.   Ottawa—Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her Ontario counterpart Ernie Hardeman are putting the pressure on reluctant colleagues to agree to proposed changes to the AgriStability component of the federal-provincial Business Risk Management (BRM) program for farmers. The changes were unveiled by Bibeau in […]

Jan 15 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — The review has been stalled by the Covid pandemic.   Ottawa—The federal government is finally launching the consultation phase of the Canada Grain Act review it started in March 2019. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says it will be conducted online until the end of April. The government wants to hear the views of the grain […]

Jan 12 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Trade problems and weather will continue to trouble the sector as well. Ottawa – The pandemic that won’t go away was undoubtedly the single biggest shock to the agrifood system last year and its impact will continue to be felt in 2021, says Farm Credit Canada. In an early January 2020 outlook, it selected climate […]

Jan 8 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Federal-provincial committee expected to propose action by mid year.   Ottawa—While federal and provincial officials are working on a solution to complaints from farm groups and food processors about fee increases being imposed on them by the large grocery store chains, no action is likely until this summer, Agriculture Canada says. The federal-provincial working group […]

Jan 7 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Food and agriculture get prominent mention throughout restart report.   Ottawa-A game plan developed by business leaders for firing up the post-pandemic Canadian economy envisages a prominent role for the agrifood sector. The 136-page report of the Industry Strategy Council, released last month with little fanfare, sets out the steps “for building a digital, sustainable […]

Jan 6 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Pandemic served up a series of shocks to the sector.   Ottawa—While food and beverage makers constitute the country’s largest manufacturing sector, their importance isn’t well understood or appreciated, says Daniel Vielfaure, Deputy CEO of the Bonduelle Group and CEO of Bonduelle Americas. Domestic food manufacturers buy over half of Canada’s agriculture output and turn […]

Jan 5 2021 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — The change would be quick and deliver result without extra costs.   Ottawa—Regulatory modernization is the simplest and quickest way to enable the agrifood sector to help drive a national economic recovery, says CropLife Canada. Governments already have a road map to steer the sector “as a driver for investment, jobs and growth at a […]

Dec 30 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — CASI will spend a few months consulting on a sustainability platform.   Ottawa-After about a year of preparation, the Canadian Agri-food Sustainability Initiative (CASI) has been launched with Keith Currie as one of two co-chairs. The outgoing President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture will work with Paul Uys from Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph […]

Dec 29 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Many details still need to be clarified.   Ottawa—The federal Climate Plan, which has angered some farm groups because of steadily-rising fuels costs, does contain some positives for agriculture but could be better balanced, says the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. While the Plan recognizes the significant progress Canadian farmers have made during the last 20 […]

Dec 23 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Workforce vacancies remain a big challenge for companies.   Ottawa—While automation could solve the worker shortage that food processers currently face, companies have to be profitable enough to make the transition, says Michael Graydon, President and CEO of Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada. The sector is struggling with 28,000 unfilled vacancies and employers […]

Dec 22 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Ottawa—The federal and provincial governments need to fix shortcomings in agriculture programs or risk losing the next generation of producers who could decide farming isn’t financially sustainable, say national farm leaders. Bob Lowe, President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said broken financial support programs and a shortage of livestock processing capacity are among a number […]

Dec 21 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Trade barriers, especially in Asia, big headache for the industry.   Ottawa—Increased domestic processing of canola rather than exporting it as seed will create more jobs and value for the Canadian economy, says Jim Everson, President of the Canola Council of Canada. Processing it into oil and meal domestically has more than doubled in the […]

Dec 19 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Free trade deals have been key to export growth.   Ottawa –Canada is on track to break the existing $67 billion record for agriculture and food exports in one year despite all the problems the pandemic has caused in the processing sector through 2020, says Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. That exact number won’t be tabulated […]

Dec 18 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Smaller automated regional processing plants are needed.   Ottawa—Beef processing in Canada needs a massive overhaul if the sector is to remain internationally competitive, says Jean-Sebastien Gascon, Director General of Boeuf Quebec (BQ), a small but ambitious group of beef producers. Gascon compares the initiative to the Cirque du Soleil. It’ll have a marketing strategy […]

Dec 18 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Sector will have a major role in the economic recovery from the pandemic.   Ottawa—While the pandemic dished out a hefty financial toll on the food processing sector, it can rebound with innovation to play a major role in the country’s economic recovery, says Agriculture Canada. The pandemic caused an unprecedented shock to the whole […]