A rail line in Aguas Calientes, Peru. (CIA.gov)

Pacific trade bloc adds ‘associate’ members, including Canada

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cali, Colombia | Reuters –– Four new countries will be admitted to the Pacific Alliance as associate members, the trade group said on Thursday, as it seeks to expand commerce with the Asia-Pacific region while the U.S. pushes for protectionist measures. The alliance, which comprises Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru, will on Friday admit Singapore, […] Read more

(Staff photo)

National dairy group loses executive director

Reading Time: < 1 minute Caroline Emond has resigned as executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) after two and half years in the position. Emond will be stepping down effective July 4, DFC announced Wednesday. Emond has dealt with some significant files and changes to dairy marketing since she replaced long-time retiring executive director Richard Doyle. She has […] Read more


(CheeseBoard.co.uk)

Cheese and drugs wrangle holds up EU-Canada trade deal

Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Disputes over cheese and pharmaceuticals are holding up the start of a EU-Canada free trade agreement that both sides have championed as a landmark deal for open markets against a protectionist tide. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has received all the clearances required for it to enter force provisionally, […] Read more

(Deere.ca)

Farmers keen early adopters, StatsCan report shows

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian farmers in most sectors are strong proponents of data-driven technology, according to a report Wednesday from Statistics Canada. The latest release from StatsCan’s 2016 Census of Agriculture showed farmers were particularly keen to jump into new technology if it improved the efficiency of their operations or their bottom lines. StatsCan spokesperson […] Read more


(Country Guide file photo)

Ag sector equity rises in 2016

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Agriculture sector equity rose slightly in 2016, according to a Statistics Canada balance sheet on the industry. Farm sector equity totaled $500.3 billion for the year ending Dec. 31. That’s a 4.5 per cent increase, or $21.6 billion, from the same period a year ago, according to the report released Wednesday. Farm […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. Trade Representative says no deadline for NAFTA deal

Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Wednesday there was no deadline for completing NAFTA trade talks between the United States, Canada and Mexico even as lawmakers warned that U.S. business would be hurt by prolonged negotiations. “There is no deadline. My hope is that we can get it done by […] Read more


(USDec.org)

Dairy protection sought ahead of NAFTA talks

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — The head of Canada’s dairy industry group highlighted the role of Canadian dairy producers in the domestic market, as the potential for trade agreement renegotiations loom. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier in the year he was considering pulling the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but later shifted […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Eastern dairy farmers get big quota increase

Reading Time: 2 minutes The eastern Canadian provinces have approved a five per cent dairy quota increase — their largest one-time quota increase since the daily quota system was implemented in 1998. It will also be implemented quickly, on July 1. The five provinces — Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario — create quota policy […] Read more


U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture Jose Calzada (l-r) speak at the Port of Savannah, Ga. on June 20. (Stephen B. Morton photo courtesy Georgia Ports Authority)

NAFTA agriculture ministers see ‘few’ differences over trade

Reading Time: < 1 minute Garden City, Ga. | Reuters — The U.S., Canada and Mexico have “relatively few” differences on agricultural trade, agriculture ministers from the three countries said in a joint statement after meeting Tuesday to discuss the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. However, some “irritants” are present for each country in the runup to […] Read more

(JBSsa.com)

JBS aims to shed Alberta feedlot in divestment plan

Reading Time: 2 minutes Sao Paulo/Chicago | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA revealed a major divestment plan Tuesday, putting its Alberta cattle feeding assets and others on the block to cut debt after a corruption scandal raised concerns about its financing costs. JBS, whose controlling shareholder recently agreed to pay a massive leniency fine after becoming embroiled in […] Read more