General

Canada’s largest rural broadband provider has signed a deal with Google Canada to provide a new e-mail platform for Xplornet customers across the country. Barrett Xplore, the Woodstock, N.B. owner of Xplornet Internet Services, will see its new platform powered by Google’s Gmail, giving its customers “enhanced e-mail features and functionality” including up to 7.3 […] Read more

Canada and the other major industrialized democracies in the G8 plan a US$12 billion, three-year commitment to invest in agriculture in developing countries, according to the Financial Times. The G8 will kick off its annual summit on Wednesday in L’Aquila, Italy, running until Friday. According to the summit’s official website, “all of the leaders attending […] Read more

Agricultural exports from Canada to four European countries can expect to travel lighter, carrying a net tariff reduction of up to $5 million per year, under a new free trade deal which took effect Wednesday. Canadian exporters and producers are expected to “immediately benefit” from duty-free access to the markets in the European Free Trade […] Read more

Canada’s top 200 restaurant chains boosted their sales by three per cent in 2008 while cutting the number of stores by 0.7 per cent, a new study reports. Technomic, a Chicago-based food industry research and consulting firm, last week released its 2008 Top 200 Canadian Chains Restaurant Report, following the 200 chains which together command […] Read more

Canada’s producers of pulse crops, livestock feed and frozen french fries may see an end soon to tariffs between 10 and 30 per cent on exports to Jordan, once a free trade agreement (FTA) with that kingdom gets final government approval. International Trade Minister Stockwell Day on Sunday announced the official signing of the legal […] Read more

The federal government has released the final version of the “Biologique Canada Organic” logo for use starting next week on certified organic food sold in Canada. “This organic logo allows consumers to make informed, confident choices,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a release Wednesday. “At the same time, the new regulations will allow Canadian […] Read more

Prices farmers received for their commodities fell 1.7 per cent in April from the same month a year earlier, as the crops index fell, more than offsetting the growth in the total livestock and animal products index, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. The total crops index (126.4) decreased by 15.2 per cent from April 2008, as […] Read more

The federal government’s bill to broaden access to farm improvement loans has received royal assent, putting up an additional $1 billion in Crown-backed credit for use by new farmers, young farmers and farmer co-operatives. The Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA), formerly the Farm Improvement and Marketing Co-operatives Loans Act, is now “greatly expanded” to allow […] Read more

Canadian ag exports such as wheat, barley, lentils, peas and some boneless beef could get “immediate duty-free access” to the Peruvian market as early as July 1. The federal government said Thursday that it would work to have its free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru, including parallel agreements on labour co-operation and the environment, implemented […] Read more

The organic equivalency agreement signed this week between Canada and the U.S. will not end a number of restrictions on imports of U.S. organic goods that don’t follow Canada’s standards, and vice versa. According to a release Friday from the Canadian wing of the Organic Trade Association, the deal requires Canada not to allow any […] Read more