Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie’s cabinet shuffle Thursday puts a new minister in charge of the territory government’s ag file. Lake Laberge MLA Brad Cathers, who until now has been Fentie’s minister for health and social services, takes over from Archie Lang as minister for energy, mines and resources, a portfolio that includes responsibility for agriculture. […] Read more
Yukon names new minister for farms
Lakeside sale cause for relief: GMC
Canadian cattle feeders can take a bit of assurance that the Lakeside beef plant at Brooks, Alta., will be in “strong hands” after its sale and may even spur new competition for cattle, according to a new report from the George Morris Centre. In a report released Thursday, the Guelph, Ont.-based ag think tank’s market […] Read more
Viterra plans “rotating” lockout
The Grain Services Union (GSU) is pondering its next move after Canada’s largest grain handler announced a “rotating lockout” of some unionized staff will start Monday. Viterra management announced Wednesday that it has served a legal notice to the GSU for a lockout that does not physically keep workers in the affected bargaining units from […] Read more
So much Ont. livestock, so little corn: GMC
Ontario is producing more cattle and hogs than it has home-grown corn to feed them, making those sectors uncompetitive on a cost basis, the George Morris Centre observes in a new report. The Guelph-based ag think tank on Thursday released a new report that warns those Ontario livestock sectors may be headed for “harsh adjustments,” […] Read more
Restaurants pan proposed dairy price hike
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) is crying foul over a proposed increase in Canadian dairy prices. The group said Thursday that Canadian dairy prices are already among the highest in the world and could rise for the second time in just six months — a move it claims would make it more difficult […] Read more
AAFC to track more organic imports
A federal pilot project to track imported organic produce and get a better picture of market potential will expand to 20 new products, the federal agriculture department announced Wednesday. The 20 added products bring the total to 61, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in a release. The project, which was launched last year, has made […] Read more
Loosened variety registration rules proposed
Potato, sunflower, safflower and buckwheat varieties won’t need to meet the same variety registration requirements as other crops under proposed changes to federal regulations on seed. Proposed amendments to the federal Seeds Regulations were published June 28 for a 75-day public comment period, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a release Wednesday. Other than […] Read more
N.B. invites farmers to apply for board seats
New Brunswick residents can now put their names forward to be considered to serve on agriculture-related provincial boards, commissions or agencies. A pilot project, announced Wednesday, allows New Brunswickers to submit “expressions of interest” to serve with agencies, boards or commissions that deliver services on behalf of the province, advise the province on policy matters […] Read more
Ont. farm premises registry goes live
OnTrace, the agency spearheading food traceability programs in Ontario, has launched an online, full-scale, provincewide Ontario Agri-food Premises Registry (OAPR). “The launch of the OAPR fulfills OnTrace’s first key mandate, which was to deliver a premises identification registry for agriculture and agri-food in Ontario,” said OnTrace CEO Brian Sterling in a release Wednesday.
Bayer rolls out new hort-crop insecticide
Bayer CropScience has picked up registration in Canada for Movento, a new foliar insecticide, for use in apple, grape and some vegetable crops. The product, a Group 23 active ingredient called spirotetramat, has a new mode of action from tetramic acid, a class of chemistry that acts as a lipid biosynthesis inhibitor (LBI), the company […] Read more
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