Sep 19 2019 — John Ivison — National Newswatch — The reaction on the streets of Saint-Hyacinthe to Justin Trudeau’s recurring tendency of blacking up for his own amusement was subdued. It seems we do not expect much of our politicians, so we are rarely disappointed. There were expressions of exasperation about the mud-slinging that has characterized this campaign. By and large, though, an unscientific […]
Sep 16 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — The next Parliament needs to address the issue, Bonnett says. Ottawa—After couple of years scoping out what has to be done to build consumer confidence in Canadian agrifood products, the Public Trust Steering Committee (PSTC) finally has a permanent home at the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). The committee was established in 2017 […]
Sep 14 2019 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — In a recent opinion piece, National Post columnist John Ivison encouraged Andrew Scheer to directly confront those trying to portray him as an ultra-conservative Catholic harbouring a secret agenda to ban abortion and curb LGBTQ rights. Ivison suggested Scheer adopt the strategy used by John F. Kennedy during the 1960 election campaign. Trying to reassure voters […]
Sep 12 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — No specific proposals have been outlined yet. Ottawa—The Employment Department says it’s planning to engage farm organizations and workers about key issues involving the hiring of foreign workers to fill vacant jobs in the agrifood sector. The announcement provided no details on how or when engagement would be held. Their focus would be on […]
Sep 11 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Canadian Meat Council wants to see a strategy for dealing with the issue. Ottawa—The so-called temporary suspension of Canadian pork and beef exports to China now is in its third month with no resolution in sight and losses mounting, says the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). The suspension began June 25 when China said it […]
Sep 10 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — U.S. looking for grounds to push for market openings. Ottawa—Canadian trade observers should be keeping a close eye on a fact-finding investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) looking for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers to U.S. agricultural exports. The investigation was requested by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as part of the […]
Sep 10 2019 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — For political junkies, there’s been no time like it. The embroiled happenings in Britain, America, and less frequently France, Germany and Russia have turned these days into a kind of madness that hasn’t been seen in decades. The spectacle of democracy falling apart on countless screens in real time, hour upon hour, can bring one […]
Sep 9 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Bibeau says the government is still working with the supply-managed sector. Ottawa—Dairy processor groups across the country say the federal government has reneged on its promise to compensate their members for the economic harm that will result from the European and Pacific free trade deals and the new NAFTA when it is ratified. The […]
Sep 5 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Dominic Barton will have a full agenda when he takes up his post in Beijing. Ottawa—The appointment of Dominic Barton as Canadian ambassador to China was welcomed by farm leaders but the former business leader and university chancellor will have a lot of issues to deal with besides blocked shipments of canola, pork and […]
Aug 30 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — It may take time after the election to judge the effectiveness of CFA and CAFTA initiatives. Ottawa –The agrifood sector has a message about its economic importance to the national economy to deliver to everyone running for a seat in Parliament in this fall’s federal election and even though many candidates have yet to […]
Aug 29 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Embracing new technology and finding more workers are essential to moving Canadian farms ahead. Ottawa—Canadian farmers have the potential to produce $51 billion worth of food by 2030 compared to the current $32 billion if they can afford to adopt new technology and find enough trained workers, says a report from the Royal Bank […]
Aug 28 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Bibeau says the government is responding and more will be done. Ottawa–Export-oriented farmers are facing significant market disruptions due to global trade disruptions and want the federal government to provide them with financial support as it plans to do for 11,000 Canadian dairy farmers, the AGgrowth Coalition says. The Coalition has been pushing for action for months […]
Aug 27 2019 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — The G7 in France, now concluded, held little in the way of significance. There was the odd surprise (Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s drop-in visit) and Justin Trudeau’s pledge of over half the group’s combined total to fight the Amazon forest fires, but ultimately the summit was about containing any damage instilled by the American […]
Aug 21 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Two CAPI conferences hear about lots of ideas that won’t be easy to implement. Ottawa—Moving to sustainable agriculture practices receives plenty of platitudes but making them actually happen won’t be a simple endeavour, two conferences sponsored by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute have concluded. The conferences in Calgary and Guelph earlier this year heard […]
Aug 20 2019 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Ottawa–The announcement of $1.75 billion in financial aid for dairy farmers during the next eight years to offset the impact of increased domestic market access under trade deals settles only one of the compensation discussions affecting supply management that started last fall and leaves up in the air how the new NAFTA deal will be […]