Apples Archives | Canadian Cattlemen

New Brunswick returns ag minister, ag critic in election

Liberals' former ag minister among casualties

New Brunswick’s incumbent agriculture minister and opposition ag critic are among those returning to the legislative assembly as the provincial Tories locked in a governing majority. As of 9 p.m. CT Monday, incumbent Premier Blaine Higgs’ Progressive Conservatives, who went into the vote with a 22-seat minority government, were elected in 27 of 49 ridings. […] Read more

Fruit/Vegetables, Livestock, Markets

Feds line up projects for surplus food program

NGOs backed to gather, distribute 12 million kg of food

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News August 14, 2020

The federal government has lined up eight projects to source and distribute perishable produce, meat, eggs and seafood piling up across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the federal pandemic response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in early May that Ottawa would budget $50 million for a food surplus purchase program. The […] Read more

General, Markets

Federal surplus food program now taking applications

Qualified NGOs sought to move, distribute perishables to 'populations in need'

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News June 16, 2020

A federal program to get food to those who need it, using stockpiles of perishables created by the COVID-19-related shutdown of the dining sector, is now taking applications. The $50 million Surplus Food Rescue Program — which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telegraphed in a funding announcement May 5 — will take applications from “organizations addressing […] Read more

General, Markets

Laid-off foreign workers may get conditional clearance for other jobs

Workers allowed to start new jobs while permits are processed

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 12, 2020

Approved temporary foreign workers (TFWs) whose jobs disappeared before they could begin work in Canada this spring can now get much quicker approval to start at other workplaces, including farms, where the workers are needed. The federal government said Tuesday it will, effective “immediately,” temporarily waive its rule requiring a TFW to receive federal approval […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Reuters

Canadian, U.S. farms face crop losses on foreign worker delays

By Christopher Walljasper, Rod Nickel, GFM Network News April 6, 2020

Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Mandatory coronavirus quarantines of seasonal foreign workers in Canada could hurt that country’s fruit and vegetable output this year, and travel problems related to the pandemic could also leave U.S. farmers with fewer workers than usual. Foreign labour is critical to farm production in both countries, where domestic workers shun the […] Read more

General

CFIA rethinking limits on travellers’ personal food imports

Consultation running until March

By GFM Staff February 9, 2020

The federal government is considering changes to the amounts of food travellers can bring into Canada with them from other countries for their personal use. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced public online consultations on the proposed new limits, which CFIA said would “better reflect the volume of foods typically moved by travellers […] Read more

General

B.C. to punch up AgriStability

Reference margin limit eliminated for 2019, 2020

By GFM Staff February 2, 2020

British Columbia plans to make another $9 million available to farmers through “enhancements” to AgriStability for the 2019 and 2020 program years. The province on Thursday announced it will increase the compensation rate available through the federal/provincial income stabilization program from 70 per cent to 80 per cent when margins fall below the 30 per […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

Vietnam considers CPTPP-level tariff cuts on U.S. ag products

By Reuters December 9, 2019

Hanoi | Reuters — Vietnam is considering cutting tariffs on several U.S. products, the ministry of finance said in a statement on Monday, after U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urged Vietnam to reduce its trade surplus during a visit to Hanoi last month. Tariffs on chicken and processed chicken meat, almonds, grapes, wheat, pork and […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables

Juice producer Lassonde to buy Sun-Rype

By GFM Staff November 14, 2019

Canada’s domestic fruit juice sector is poised for consolidation as Quebec’s Lassonde Industries mounts a friendly $80 million bid for Sun-Rype Products. Lassonde recently announced it has entered an agreement with subsidiaries of Sun-Rype’s owner, the Jim Pattison Group, to buy the Kelowna, B.C.-based fruit snack and juice maker and its two U.S. affiliates for […] Read more

Apples, Crops, Reuters

EU to ban Bayer’s Calypso insecticide

By Reuters October 22, 2019

Brussels | Reuters — European Union governments on Tuesday widened the EU ban on neonicotinoid pesticides after deciding not to renew their approval for Bayer’s thiacloprid. Farmers will not be allowed to use the neonic insecticide, sold under the brands Calypso and Biscaya, after April 30, 2020, when its current approval expires. A majority of […] Read more

FBN cuts yearly membership fee to zero

More food companies aim to wrangle cattle emissions

U.S. grains: Wheat, soy, corn fall sharply on fund selling

GFM Network News