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
CFIA rethinking limits on travellers’ personal food imports
Consultation running until March
Saputo to shut two dairy plants in East
Canadian dairy processing giant Saputo, in a move it describes as “right-sizing” its manufacturing footprint, plans to close two of its plants in Eastern Canada within a year. Montreal-based Saputo said Thursday it will close the former Riverside Cheese and Butter plant at Trenton, Ont. this September and its Baxter dairy plant at Saint John, […] Read more
Carbon tax an eight per cent hit on net income, APAS says
The average Saskatchewan farmer can expect to lose about eight per cent of his or her annual net farm income to the federal carbon tax to 2020 — and 12 per cent in 2022, the province’s general ag group says. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan on Monday released new estimates on the financial impacts […] Read more
Ex-B.C. milk board CEO to head CDC
An ex-executive with the B.C. Milk Marketing Board and Monsanto Canada has been named to lead the Canadian Dairy Commission through 2021. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday named Bob Ingratta as the commission’s chairperson for a term ending Dec. 16, 2021, replacing Alistair Johnston. Ingratta, originally from Ontario, has degrees in botany and […] Read more
Alberta farmers warned against oil well tampering
Advocate warns off 'reckless advice'
Alberta’s Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) is warning any farmers and ranchers in dispute with resource companies over compensation for well sites not to go in and tamper with the taps. The FAO last week issued a statement reminding the public that “interfering with any oil and gas infrastructure or that of an electrical distribution utility […] Read more
B.C. to punch up AgriStability
Reference margin limit eliminated for 2019, 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
CN conductors approve post-strike deal
Canadian National Railway’s conductors and yard workers have voted for at least another two and a half years of labour peace with the company. The affected employees, members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, voted 91.3 per cent to ratify a three-year contract with CN, retroactive to last July 23, the union said in a […] Read more
AgDealer offers online equipment financing, shipping tools
Canada’s biggest used farm equipment shopper publication has added tools to link prospective buyers to options for payment plans and shipping. AgDealer on Monday announced “major enhancement(s)” at its AgDealer.com site, where each equipment listing will include buttons linking to tools from CWB National Leasing and Trusted Dispatch. The online tools allow AgDealer.com users to […] Read more
‘Weak positive’ PED turns up in Alberta sample
A “weak positive” finding of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus from ongoing sampling in Alberta offers a warning that the hog disease may not have yet left the province alone. The chief provincial veterinarian’s office (OCPV) on Monday reported that the agriculture department’s lab in Edmonton on Jan. 22 found a weak PED positive […] Read more
Subway, McDonald’s expand Beyond Meat rollouts in Canada
Major fast-food chains McDonald’s and Subway are both expanding their rollouts of plant-based Beyond Meat products in Canada, beyond the range of their initial tests. McDonald’s Canada announced Wednesday it will expand the test marketing of its “P.L.T.” burger from its 28 stores in London, Ont. to also include 52 in Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and surrounding […] Read more
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