(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. Congress repeals COOL on beef, pork

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have both approved a repeal of the government’s six-year old mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) laws on beef and pork. Tucked into an omnibus appropriations bill put before Congress Friday, the repeal shuts the door on a major irritant in North American trade relations and is expected to curb […] Read more



(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Canada seen dawdling on TPP ratification

Reuters — Canada is set to hold back on ratifying a key Asia-Pacific trade treaty, a move that would assuage critics but might hamper Washington’s bid to build domestic support for the deal, according to sources close to the talks. Canada is one of 12 nations that initialed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in early October, […] Read more


Skim milk powder. (PelchGroup.com)

Dairy support price gets boost starting Feb. 1

Canada’s dairy farmers can expect a two per cent bump in their overall revenue from industrial milk sales starting Feb. 1 next year. Citing dairy producers’ increased costs of production, the Canadian Dairy Commission on Wednesday announced its support price of butter will increase effective Feb. 1 to $7.7815 per kilogram, from $7.4046 currently. Its […] Read more




(ChristopherMitchelmore.com)

N.L. agrifoods file moves to new minister

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Forestry and Agrifoods Agency, which oversees public policy for the province’s livestock, crops and agrifood sectors, is again getting new management. Oversight for the agency, first set up in 2007 by then-natural resources minister Kathy Dunderdale, had been moved in March from the natural resources department to the fisheries and aquaculture department. However, […] Read more



(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.K. review calls for urgent cuts to antibiotic use in livestock

London | Reuters –– Massive use of antibiotics in farming poses a critical threat to global public health and should be reduced dramatically to an internationally-agreed target, according to a British government-commissioned review. Agreeing and implementing a global target for agricultural antibiotic use won’t be easy, the review, led by former Goldman Sachs chief economist […] Read more