Agriculture meeting emphasizes Canadian, U.S. partnership Friday, January 15, 2016 by JIM ALGIEThursday’s first face-to-face meeting between Canadian Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack would have been very different, no doubt, if Congress had not recently repealed its Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) law for Canadian beef and pork.As it was, the newly-appointed Canadian minister was able to leave the meeting full of praise for “Canada’s strong, bilateral partnership with the United States.” During a conference call with reporters following Washington talks with Vilsack, who has been U.S. agriculture secretary throughout the administration of President Barack Obama, MacAulay spoke repeatedly and emphatically about the importance of Canada/U.S. trade. He valued cross-border trade at about $50 billion annually in agriculture and food alone.“Our government was very pleased with the U.S. decision to repeal COOL for beef and pork,” MacAulay told reporters during brief remarks before taking questions. “The resolution removes significant, long-standing disputes between our two countries,” he said.That refers to a seven-year-long dispute among Canada, Mexico and the United States over American law that required country of origin labels on meat from imported livestock. Through multiple U.S. appeals, World Trade Organization officials ruled repeatedly in favour of Canada and Mexico that the labelling requirements discriminated against imports contrary to U.S. international treaty commitments.The former Canadian government of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had threatened retaliatory tariffs worth as much as $3 billion annually in the absence of U.S. repeal which came only last month. Removing the labelling requirement “will allow industry on both sides to reap the benefits of our integrated markets,” MacAulay said.Talks with Vilsack also included details of the recently negotiated, Trans-Pacific Partnership which removes certain existing trade barriers and requires ratification by national legislatures in each of the 12 participating nations. MacAulay said he and Vilsack discussed the pact’s pros and cons.Vilsack indicated his administration’s support for TPP but MacAulay provided little sign of his government preferences beyond a general remark that it has “strongly supported free trade as a way to open markets and create good paying jobs for Canadians.”Asked about a timetable for ratification, MacAulay said neither he nor Vilsack were willing to predict the outcome of pending legislative decisions.“You’re likely aware that President Obama called for it in his state of the union address,” MacAulay said, referring to the president’s final address to Congress, Tuesday. “It’s difficult for me to speculate,” MacAulay said of the deal’s future either in Congress or the House of Commons.“There’s going to be discussion and debate on the floor of the House of Commons before anything takes place,” MacAulay said.Other subjects of discussion between Vilsack and MacAulay included potential areas of cooperation on matters of agriculture science and technology. As well, the two men discussed the need for science-based, international standards for bio-technology, MacAulay said.“Prime Minister Trudeau and President Obama have set the tone for relations between our two countries,” the agriculture minister said. “Through our government’s new focus on the relationship Canadian farmers and food processors can look forward to opportunities to come,” MacAulay said. BF University of Guelph aims to improve relationship with Ontario's agriculture community Ontario agriculture minister's progress report identifies five key areas
Navigating Financial Literacy for Women in Ag Monday, November 4, 2024 By Deanna Ciaccia In today’s evolving agricultural landscape, financial literacy is crucial for success, particularly for women who are increasingly taking leadership roles in the agriculture sector. According to a recent article from FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha),... Read this article online
Ontario Pork Congress Annual Meeting report Friday, November 1, 2024 The Ontario Pork Congress was held on October 22, 2024, at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford, Ontario, with over 35 people attending. At the event, the association revealed the winner of its —Tara Terpstra, a Huron County pork producer who is currently Chair of Ontario Pork. The... Read this article online
Massey Ferguson introduces six new tractors Friday, November 1, 2024 Massey Ferguson has debuted its new of tractors, what the company calls a line-up of versatile and powerful machines designed to meet the needs of modern farmers. This series includes six new models, each tailored to different farming requirements and preferences. MF... Read this article online
Farmers and small businesses worried about Federal Debt Crisis Friday, November 1, 2024 Nearly 74% of Canadian small businesses express concern over the federal government’s lack of a concrete plan to balance the budget, as deficits and federal debt continue to rise, reports the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). These sentiments are also held by many growers... Read this article online
Bills C-244 and C-294 have been adopted Friday, November 1, 2024 On October 31, without much ado, and were adopted by the Canadian Parliament and are poised to become law. These bills amend the and represent a historic step forward in the right-to-repair movement, especially for Canadian farmers. allows consumers and businesses to... Read this article online