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China yet to resume all canola imports from Canada, officials say

No correction measures yet shown, Chinese foreign ministry says

Beijing | Reuters — China has yet to resume all canola imports from Canada, the foreign ministry said on Friday, after suspensions were imposed on some suppliers last year. Canola imports from some Canadian exporters were suspended by China because of quality reports and it has not received any correction measures, so imports have not […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Canola dockage agreement with China expires, but limited exports to continue

Most remaining shipments meet Beijing's requirement

Exports of Canadian canola seed exports to China will continue, at the same reduced pace seen since March last year — but only if it contains less than one per cent dockage. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries allowing higher dockage ends Tuesday (March 31), a Canadian government official said in an […] Read more



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Ottawa expected to ‘officially’ declare ag an essential service

The Western Grain Elevator Association says that designation will clarify things and help to keep grain moving

Canada’s grain industry expects the federal government will soon officially declare agriculture an essential service. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), says that designation will have a practical application. “Hopefully it ends all confusion about grain workers at elevators, railway workers and anybody else required for moving grain, as to […] Read more


Reginald Conyers, a traveling busker, plays the trumpet outside a Safeway while people observing social distancing wait in line to enter the store  in Oakland on March 20, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Kate Munsch)

Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation

World has ample grain and oilseed supplies, FAO and analysts say

Singapore | Reuters — Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said. The world’s richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy as […] Read more



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Pulse weekly outlook: Increased demand seen, but problems loom

MarketsFarm — Unlike other commodities, pulses aren’t yet feeling ill effects from an economic downturn due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, according to Marcos Mosnaim of Globeways Canada in Mississauga. With consumers panic-buying, there has been increased demand for pulses, as many are non-perishable, Mosnaim said. “These products will be there for ages,” he said, […] Read more

Motorcyclists queue for fuel at a station in Khartoum on Feb. 10, 2020.(Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Sudan to continue to subsidize bread but with ‘justice’

Khartoum | Reuters — Sudan will continue to subsidize bread prices during transitional rule after Omar al-Bashir’s ouster but wants to achieve “justice” in distributing income supports, its trade and industry minister said on Wednesday. Bread shortages, caused by difficulties in raising hard currency to import wheat, triggered mass protests which — with the help […] Read more



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CFIA rethinking limits on travellers’ personal food imports

Consultation running until March

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