A new plan is needed for supply management, focusing on farm and processing competitiveness and providing proper coverage across Canada
Dairy farmers can no longer say that supply management allows them to produce milk for Canadians without any subsidies. That all changed last week. But dairy farmers shouldn’t just be compensated, they also deserve a continuing strategy. And right now, there isn’t one. The federal Liberal government basically took the same approach the former Conservative…
Canadian Pacific Railway moved more Canadian grain and grain products during the 2018-2019 crop year than any year in its history. The Calgary-based company said the final tally for the crop year was 26.8 million metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products. The crop year, Aug. 1 to July 31, saw 2.8 per cent…
Data released on Tuesday by Statistics Canada may be a few years old but it does give an indication of how important the agriculture industry is to the overall Canadian economy – and Alberta plays a prominent role in that. The federal agency said the agriculture and agri-food manufacturing sector contributed $49 billion to Canada's…
Until Mexico ramps up production, we’ll pay higher prices. And corruption in the Mexican avocado industry could force suppliers to more socially-acceptable sources
Avocados have been expensive for a while. And if you expect them to fall in price, you’ll need to wait a while longer. Typically, most Canadians expect to pay $1 per unit. But in the last few months, it’s almost impossible to find them below $2 apiece. And if you do buy an avocado, it…
Trade uncertainty and oversupply have added a considerable amount of uncertainty to this year’s agricultural outlook, says a report released on Wednesday by TD Economics. The Canadian Agriculture Outlook said oilseeds in particular are expected to weigh on cash receipts and increase storage costs. “That said, there are several pockets of optimism. In the near…
China has played Canada in impressive fashion over the last six months and the meat ban is a masterful stroke
Canada is losing the food safety optics game against China. While Canada has demonstrated many times that its food safety record is outstanding – in fact, one of the best in the world – none of it matters now. Since Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018 on…
Vegan activists are wilfully interfering with the livelihoods of farmers and invading the social interactions of consumers celebrating food
Vegan groups are using billboards in the Atlantic region to denounce dairy farming practices and tell consumers that dairy is scary. Some of these ads show a young calf with a caption that says someone “took its mom, its milk, then its life.” The intention is to encourage people to switch to a plant-based diet.…
In the retail food business, customers have plenty of questions about how their food is produced. The answers often surprise them
By Jackie Fraser Small business owner “Are there any BMOs in this?” my dear customer asks. It takes me a moment to realize she's not asking about the bank. Sigh. Where do I start with this one? My husband and I own a fresh food retail store and catering company in Fergus, Ont. He’s the chef…
The goals are noble, but the budget is small and the policy is painfully short on detail and strategy
After more than two years of work and hearing from almost 45,000 Canadians, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released its first food policy this week. A total of $134 million will be spent to support this five-year plan that centres around food security, health, environment, and the sustainable growth of the agriculture and food sector. These…
The world of food marketing is full of deception. The truth is there is very little that’s 'natural' about our food, but that doesn't make it dangerous
“All natural” is a food marketer’s delight. Customers love it, the words generate positive thoughts, and there’s no official definition or standard at all. It means whatever you want it to. That’s why so many food products have the word “natural” somewhere prominent on their labels. The word sells product and represents a free-for-all for…
Dairy farmers can no longer say that supply management allows them to produce milk for Canadians without any subsidies. That all changed last week. But dairy farmers shouldn’t just be compensated, they also deserve a continuing strategy. And right now, there isn’t one. The federal Liberal government basically took the same approach the former Conservative…
