General

There may be a crackdown on how packaged foods’ precautionary labels are worded, if food processors choose not to accurately reflect allergy risks in their warnings, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said yesterday. In an advisory to manufacturers and importers, CFIA and Health Canada noted that their policy on these “precautionary statements” is under review. […] Read more

Saskatchewan farmers have beaten Ottawa’s expectations for the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program by almost 40 per cent so far. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Mark Wartman, his provincial counterpart, said yesterday in Regina that 9,000 Saskatchewan farms have completed EFPs in the past two years, well past the program’s provincial goal of 6,500 […] Read more

In a bid to boost rural community development, Saskatchewan has mapped out what it describes as a “more efficient, integrated” network of municipal roads that are — or will be — maintained to handle primary-level vehicle weights. The “Clearing the Path” (CTP) primary weight corridor network, developed by the province, the CTP transportation committee, the […] Read more

Community agricultural fairs celebrating special anniversaries may qualify for up to $200,000 in new federal infrastructure cash, according to a national fairs group. Speaking Wednesday in Halifax, Heritage Minister Josee Verner announced $30 million, as earmarked in the last federal budget, to support arts and heritage events at the community level, including a new Building […] Read more

The Independent Dealers Entrepreneurial Association (IDEA), a Saskatoon-based group of locally-owned crop input retailers, has named Nipawin, Sask. farm consultant Bob Evans as its new executive director. Evans, who has previously done advisory work for the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers and is rostered with the Canadian Farm Business Advisory Service to provide subsidized counselling for […] Read more

The Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) has revised its funding guidelines to allow eligible applicants to access a maximum $300,000, up from $200,000, in federal ag innovation funds. MRAC, which administers funding in Manitoba for the federal Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) program, said in a release that some projects may qualify for additional […] Read more

The members of the Canadian 4-H Council have approved new bylaws that are expected to put responsibility for the council’s operations largely in the hands of its staff and place the board in a “visionary” role. Member representatives voted on the change at a special general meeting yesterday. Pending approval (expected by mid-October) from Industry […] Read more

Time is running down for farmers to take advantage of a federal program that offers business consulting services at a fraction of the usual cost. Chris Ruschowski, regional manager for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) specialized business planning services program, warned farmers in a Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food newsletter this week that the program is […] Read more

Clay Serby, Saskatchewan’s deputy premier and former minister of agriculture (2000-04) announced today he won’t seek re-election. Serby will continue as MLA for Yorkton until Premier Lorne Calvert calls an election, as many observers expect will happen soon. Serby still serves as deputy premier and handles the Saskatchewan Property Management portfolio, and no announcement has […] Read more