(Video screengrab from CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

Vaccine mandate to lead to inflation, empty shelves, trucking executives say

Parallel mandate for U.S. entry starts Saturday

Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian consumers should soon see higher prices and some empty shelves in supermarkets and other retail outlets because of disruptions stemming from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers, top trucking executives warned this week. The mandate, imposed by Ottawa to help curb the spread of the virus, has cost six […] Read more

(M+M Food Market video screengrab via YouTube)

On The Run operator to buy M+M Food Market

Parkland Corp. to pay $322M for frozen-food retailer

A well-known Canadian food retailer selling flash-frozen meals, entrees, side dishes and desserts direct to consumers is headed to expansion-minded new owners. Calgary-based Parkland Corp., which operates fuel and convenience retail chains and bulk fuel distribution businesses in Canada and elsewhere, announced Tuesday it’s signed an agreement to buy M+M Food Market for about $322 […] Read more


Manitoba’s new ag minister Derek Johnson, whose constituency includes Diageo’s Crown Royal distillery at Gimli, congratulated the company on social media Monday for prizes earned at the Canadian Whisky Awards. Those included distillery of the year for Gimli, and Canadian whisky of the year for Crown Royal Nobel Collection Winter Wheat. (Facebook)

Manitoba names new ag minister in shuffle

Derek Johnson replaces Ralph Eichler

Another MLA from Manitoba’s Interlake region has been named to handle the province’s farm file in Premier Heather Stefanson’s latest cabinet shuffle and portfolio restructuring. Stefanson, who replaced Brian Pallister as premier in November, on Tuesday named Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson as minister of agriculture, replacing Lakeside MLA Ralph Eichler, who has been dropped from […] Read more

Bulalo, a Filipino soup dish made with boiled bone-in beef shank. (Jun Pinzon/iStock/Getty Images)

China, Philippines suspend beef imports from Canada on BSE case

Winnipeg | Reuters –– China and the Philippines have suspended imports of Canadian beef due to Canada’s detection in December of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a spokesperson for Canada’s agriculture department said on Monday. The moves follow an import suspension by South Korea last month, after Canada reported its first BSE […] Read more


Jennifer Hayes. (CDC-ccl.ca)

New chair named for Canadian Dairy Commission

Appointment still leaves board shorthanded

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has hired from within the Canadian Dairy Commission to get it a new chairperson. Bibeau on Tuesday announced Quebec dairy farmer Jennifer Hayes as the CDC’s new chair for a four-year term starting Dec. 23, 2021. Hayes, who had served as commissioner on the CDC’s three-person board since January 2017, […] Read more

(Lauri Patterson/E+/Getty Images)

Canada violated CUSMA pact by reserving dairy quotas, panel finds

Canada 'will ensure compliance,' trade minister's rep says

Washington | Reuters — Canada violated a trade accord with the U.S. and Mexico by reserving most of its preferential dairy tariff-rate quotas for Canadian processors, a dispute panel found, and Washington warned it could retaliate if Ottawa did not change course. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office claimed victory for Washington in the first dispute […] Read more


File photo of Korean braised short ribs. (Sungsu Han/iStock/Getty Images)

Korea suspends Canadian beef imports after BSE case

No other countries yet considering suspensions, CFIA says

Winnipeg | Reuters — South Korea has suspended beef imports from Canada, which last week reported its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in six years, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Wednesday. South Korea, the fourth-largest beef importer in the world, is seeking more information about the case before lifting its suspension, the […] Read more

A microscope-level view of damaged brain tissue from a cow infected with BSE. (USDA photo via U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

‘Atypical’ BSE shows up in Alberta cow

Spontaneous case won't affect Canada's 'negligible risk' status, CFIA says

Updated –– Canada’s first case of BSE since the country achieved “negligible risk” status for the brain-wasting cattle disease isn’t expected to affect trade in Canadian beef. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday it has notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of a case of “atypical” bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an […] Read more


(RoyalFair.org video screengrab via YouTube)

AgriCommunication plan to seek farmer-consumer dialogue

Ag exhibitions among expected beneficiaries

The federal government has put up new funding toward improving consumers’ awareness of the “strengths” of Canada’s ag sector — and to improve farmer awareness of what those consumers want and expect. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced an $8 million, three-year funding envelope for the first of two streams of what’s now called […] Read more

File photo of an Ontario cherry orchard. (UpdogDesigns/iStock/Getty Images)

Audit finds Canada failing migrant farmworkers on COVID-19, housing inspections

Toronto | Reuters — As the COVID-19 pandemic raged, federal government inspectors frequently deemed the employers of migrant workers compliant with health and safety rules despite a lack of evidence, according to an Auditor General report released Thursday. While Canadian provinces and territories set housing standards, the federal government is responsible for ensuring tens of […] Read more