Canada's omnibus agriculture bill passes final reading and moves on to Senate for review Thursday, November 27, 2014 by SUSAN MANNCanada’s House of Commons passed legislation earlier this week aimed at modernizing the country’s agricultural industry and expanding markets.The Agricultural Growth Act (bill C-18) passed third reading Monday and was forwarded to the Senate for its review. Ron Bonnett, Canadian Federation of Agriculture president, says he doesn’t know yet if the Senate will hold hearings on it.Bonnett says once the Senate finally passes the Act they’ll be watching to ensure the regulations being developed reflect the intent of what’s in the Act.In its press release, the federal government says the Act will update and modernize existing legislation “to respond to the latest technology and international practices.” Under the Act, there are changes to a number of acts the Canadian Food Inspection Agency uses to regulate the sector, including ones dealing with seeds, feed, plant protection, fertilizer, animal health and monetary penalties. There are also changes to legislation under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - the Marketing Programs Act and the Farm Debt Mediation Act.One of the most controversial parts of the legislation has been the section on plant breeders’ rights. The government says the bill will “enshrine a farmer’s ability to save, store and clean their own seed of a protected variety” while at the same time enable Canada to adopt the 1991 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, commonly called UPOV 91. Bonnett says they’re confident the legislation protects farmers’ rights to save and reuse seeds.One of the really positive parts of the Act is the inclusion of streamlined application procedures under the Advance Payment Program, Bonnett says.All of the major farm groups have supported the Act, he notes. BF Farmer, Agricorp resolve decade-old crop insurance dispute Monitoring program found most food samples meet Health Canada standards
$18.4M Boost for Canadian Cereal Grain Innovation Thursday, September 19, 2024 Gate Project Receives Major Funding for Research Canada's position as a pioneer in cereal grain research is set to strengthen with the Gate Capital Campaign raising $18.4 million. This funding will support the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate) initiative, a project... Read this article online
BASF introduces Surtain herbicide for field corn growers Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Field corn growers in eastern Canada have a new crop protection product available to them. After about 10 years of research and trials, BASF has introduced Surtain, a residual herbicide for corn that combines PPO inhibitor saflufenacil (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) in a premix... Read this article online
We Didn’t Start the Fire! Impacts of Wildfire Smoke on Corn Monday, September 16, 2024 Assistant Professor of Corn Production at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, Daniel Quinn, PhD. recently provided fascinating insights into the impacts of fire on major corn producing areas, many of which have been impacted by smoke from wildfires. Quinn was the keynote... Read this article online
New home for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario Saturday, September 14, 2024 The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) has announced it has moved into its new office building in Ingersoll. Located at 274620 27th Line in Ingersoll, the new office will serve as the hub for CFFO’s ongoing efforts to advocate for and support Ontario’s Christian farmers.... Read this article online
Canadian Ag Youth Council Welcomes new Members Saturday, September 14, 2024 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced the latest members to join the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council (CAYC). This update introduces nine fresh members alongside thirteen returning youths, marking a significant step towards involving young voices in agricultural... Read this article online