(Zevei-Wenhui/iStock/Getty Images)

Increased Chinese inspections on Canadian meat for pork only

Ottawa | Reuters — Chinese plans to boost inspections of Canadian meat imports only affect pork rather than all meat products as the federal agriculture ministry initially stated, a Canadian government official said on Wednesday. A ministry notice seen by Reuters on Tuesday said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been told Chinese customs agents […] Read more

Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaks to media at Cigi in Winnipeg on March 13, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Cash advance boost to take effect next week

Regulations permanently expanding loan limits under the federal Advance Payments Program — and temporarily boosting interest-free advances for canola growers — are in place for applications to begin next Monday at the earliest. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Monday amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Regulations are now in place to boost the APP loan […] Read more



Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announces expansion of the federal Advance Payments Program in Ottawa on May 1, 2019, flanked by Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr (l) and his fellow Winnipeg MPs Dan Vandal, Robert Falcon-Ouellette and Terry Duguid. (Video screengrab from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada via Facebook Live)

APP pumped up, AgriStability deadline extended against China canola ban

The federal Advance Payments Program’s loan limits and interest-free portions will be raised and the deadline for AgriStability enrolment extended in a bid to help Canadian canola growers with cash flow. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr on Wednesday announced the expansions and extensions along with plans to engage other […] Read more


Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, shown here visiting Cigi in Winnipeg on March 13, said a third unnamed canola exporter has run afoul of Chinese customs officials. (Dave Bedard photo)

Third canola exporter runs into trouble in China

Ottawa | Reuters –– Chinese authorities have filed a quality complaint against a third Canadian exporter of canola, Canada’s agriculture minister said on Tuesday, potentially deepening a trade and diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Ottawa. Early last month, China cited the discovery of pests as the reason for blocking shipments of canola seed from Richardson […] Read more

International Trade Minister Jim Carr (at podium) and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announce plans for a technical delegation and stakeholder working group to address China’s import bans on Canadian canola. (AAFC video screengrab via Facebook Live)

Canada to set up working group for China canola push

Canola industry stakeholders and provincial officials are to join federal officials in a co-ordinated push to resolve China’s issues with Canadian canola, cabinet ministers said Monday. Speaking Monday in Ottawa, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr said they’ve set up a new working group including representatives from the Canola […] Read more


ICE May 2019 canola futures, with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Trudeau optimistic about making progress to end China canola ban

Ottawa/Chicago | Reuters — Canada is optimistic it can make progress this year in talks to persuade China to allow imports of Canadian canola seed to resume, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, even as tensions between Ottawa and Beijing reach new highs. Trudeau spoke hours after an industry group said Chinese importers had […] Read more

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, shown here March 14, 2019 at the Montreal-Trudeau airport with Canadian border services officers and detector dogs, announced new funding to expand Canada’s detector dog corps. (CNW Group/CFIA)

Canada to boost airport detector dog corps

With African swine fever top of mind, the federal government plans to more than double the total number of detector dog teams at Canada’s airports within five years. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking in Montreal Thursday, announced new funding of up to $31 million over five years to add 24 Food, Plant, and Animal Detector […] Read more


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B.C. grants late AgriStability enrolment for 2018

Fire, flooding and a drop in raspberry prices in 2018 have spurred the federal and British Columbia governments to trigger the AgriStability late-participation mechanism. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial counterpart Lana Popham, at an event Monday in Vernon, B.C., invoked the new late-participation rule for the 2018 AgriStability program year, “to help farmers […] Read more