Near the entrance to their booth they highlighted notable corn hybrids the firm has launched over the years under its Dekalb brand.

Kate Hyatt, marketing portfolio lead with the firm, said the idea came earlier this year when she and her colleagues were talking to growers, who spoke about why they chose a certain hybrid. After a while, the discussion morphed into hybrids they’ve used and liked over the years.

“The history makers campaign is about celebrating everything we’ve brought to the market in the past,” Hyatt said, while highlighting the display to Farmtario. “Just like in a music hall of fame, there’s platinum and gold levels. We’ve included those in showcases and captured some tidbits of information from our breeders that worked with them and the staff that have sold them in the field for many years.”

Hyatt noted the effort reflects the interactions farmers have with Dekalb in the field. It’s there that they put the hybrids to the test in real world conditions, and where winners emerge.

“It was about a particular soybean variety or corn hybrid, and what their experience was with that,” she said.

For more of our coverage of Canada’s Outdoor farm show, visit our landing page.

The post Dekalb’s blast from the past appeared first on Country Guide.

“I’ve never been to an outdoor show like this before,” said Sara Wilshaw on Wednesday afternoon, after touring the show site and speaking to equipment manufacturers. “This is amazing. Incredible. And the live demonstrations are so important, I think.”

Follow all of our Ag in Motion coverage at the Western Producer.

In her role Wilshaw is responsible for helping Canadian businesses secure and explore international markets, find new customers and partners and grow Canadian exports.

Wilshaw told the Western Producer that buyers she met at the event welcomed the opportunity to escape the meeting room, observe equipment in the field and touch and test it.

“The feedback I’ve gotten has been so positive,” she said.

Wilshaw said the current volatile trade environment means it’s more important than ever to take a systematic approach to growing trade and exports.

“This is why we need partnerships, and why you’re hearing folks talking about our trading partners,” she said.

She noted Canada currently has 15 trade agreements, covering 51 different countries and spanning the globe. She also noted that CUSMA remains in effect in North America and trade continues to flow between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. even in the face of tariff threats.

“It is still working, there’s a lot going in CUSMA-compliant to the United States,” she said. “It is still, and always, going to be an extremely important trading partner for us.”

When asked about Canada’s canola trade to China, she noted she’s not directly involved in it, but that the entire Canadian government is aware of the issue and working on it.

“The government, and ministers, are acutely aware of it, up to the Prime Minister,” she said.

For more stories on international trade from Ag In Motion, see future issues of Glacier FarmMedia publications.

The post Outdoor farm show a trade supercharger says commissioner appeared first on Country Guide.

U.S. President Donald Trump is already promising new tariffs and Canada remains at the economic ramparts.

As a coffee mug I saw today wryly noted, we are all now tariff war veteran.

The politics

The Reuters news service reported on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump railed against what he called tremendously high Canadian tariffs on dairy and lumber, and said his administration could soon impose reciprocal tariffs on Canadian products.

“Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and for dairy products,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “They’ll be met with the exact same tariffs, unless they drop it, and … we may do it as early as today or we’ll wait ‘til Monday or Tuesday.”

Trump also mentioned India’s high tariff rates, but said India had agreed to lower its import duties.

The comments add to Trump’s trade pressure campaign against the Canadian government, which he accuses of failing to stop the flow of fentanyl across the northern U.S. border and of unfairly taking advantage of the U.S. market.

Trump also said on Friday that he gave Canada and Mexico a break from his new 25 per cent tariffs for goods compliant with a regional free trade deal because he wanted to help automakers, but added that the reprieve was a short-term measure and tariffs could go up over time.

But he said that on April 2, reciprocal tariffs would be implemented to equalize any duty rates between the three countries. Under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade that he negotiated and signed, there are almost no tariffs on products crossing North American borders.

“I wanted to help the American carmakers until April 2nd,” Trump said. “April 2nd, it becomes all reciprocal. What they charge us, we charge them. It’s a big deal.”

Trump, in an interview aired by Fox Business Network a day after the 30-day delay, said: “I thought it would be a fair thing to do, and so I gave them a little bit of a break for this short period of time.”

Speaking to media federal conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who political opponents have attempted to paint as Trump-friendly, had his strongest words yet, telling the U.S. president to “knock it off” and “stop the chaos.”

Meantime the first wave of Canadian counter-tariffs remain in effect, but the second tranche, worth an additions $125 billion, are on pause until April 2.

Farmer supports

On Friday, the federal Department of Finance announced several investments meant to protect Canadian businesses, including $1 billion in financing through Farm Credit Canada (FCC). According to a news release, the money will help to reduce financial barriers in the agriculture sector.

“This lending offer will help address cash flow challenges so businesses can adjust to a new operating environment and continue to supply the high-quality agricultural and food products that Canadians rely on,” the release read.

The federal government also announced a $5 billion program to help Canadian exporters reach new markets.

The government also announced it will return to the $250,000 interest-free loan limit of the Advanced Payments Program (APP) through the 2025-26 program year. It was previously announced at $100,000.

Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, said he was glad to see the government taking some action.

However, McCann said many of Friday’s investment announcements fall short.

“I think that there’s a really big difference between extending more credits to Canadian businesses, which is largely what today’s announcement was, and the government investing in things like the agri-marketing program,” he said.

A summit planned for the end of the month will bring together producers from across Saskatchewan to talk about critical agricultural issues.

Tariffs and trade are at the top of the list.

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Bill Prybylski said eight groups have come together to host the summit in Saskatoon. Typically, APAS hosts a policy conference in conjunction with its spring board meeting, and this year the event is broader.

“Obviously the tariffs are the big topic of discussion, but there are a lot of other things that we need to talk about,” he said.

The president of Canada’s largest farm organization says people are anxious about looming tariffs and other uncertainties.

Keith Currie said the Canadian Federation of Agriculture re-focused much of the group’s recennt annual meeting agenda because of that environment.

“We really pivoted much of our discussions that we had originally intended at the AGM because of not only the tariff threat but also what’s happening with our own government situation here in Canada,” he said after the meeting.

The unknowns are unsettling, he added.

-With files from Reuters, Karen Briere and Jonah Grignon

The post Tariffs Day 4 | Combing through the wreckage appeared first on Country Guide.

First we were digging in for an extended trade war. Then Mexico was getting an exemption even as Canadian officials were being publicly baited by senior members of the U.S. administration. Then finally Canada was granted the same exemption status — but it appears this is just a pause, not a reset, to the Trump trade game.

The politics

In a thirteenth-hour reprieve, U.S. president Donald Trump has pulled the pin on U.S tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods less than three days after instituting them.

Tariffs on Mexico were the first to go. In a post on the Trump-owned Truth Social, Trump wrote that “after speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA agreement” and noted this was in effect until April 2.

He said the move was made out of “respect for President Sheinbaum,” and described the relationship as a “very good one” and praised Mexico for its hard work and co-operation on border issues.

Later in the day word of a similar amendment to tariffs on Canadian goods began to seep out, with a bit more detail.

The exemption, which will expire on April 2, covers both of the two largest U.S. trading partners. Trump had earlier only mentioned an exemption for Mexico, but the amendment he signed to his order for 25 per cent levies on imports from both – which went into effect on Tuesday – covers Canada as well.

For Canada, the amended order also excludes duties on potash, a critical fertilizer for U.S. farmers, but does not fully cover energy products, on which Trump has imposed a separate 10 per cent levy. A White House official said that is because not all energy products imported from Canada are covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade that Trump negotiated in his first term as president.

It’s unclear if this affects earlier remarks from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada will continue to be in a trade war with the United States for the foreseeable future, made to the the Reuters news service, a day after what he called a “colourful” call with President Donald Trump.

Domestically the federal and provincial governments are working to dismantle interprovincial trade barriers, making domestic markets larger and more efficient, having met Wednesday.

Economic effects

At the Alberta Beef Industry Conference in Calgary trade — and the market volatility trade uncertainty creates — was a main topic of conversation.

There were murmurs during networking sessions among producers, at annual general meetings and as a topic of discussion with multiple keynote speakers during the three-day conference.

”One of the first things I’m telling folks across the industry, whether it’s cattle producers in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, the only thing we know for certain right now is this is going to add volatility and uncertainty to an already volatile and uncertain market environment,” said Lance Zimmerman, a senior beef analyst for the North American market for RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness, during Day Two of the conference on Wednesday.

“As we look at that volatility, a market that moved 10 per cent 20 years ago may of cost us about $60 to $80 a head. A value swing today at 10 per cent move in the market is worth $300 a head U.S. — add time-and-a-half to get to a Canadian value in terms of currency adjustment.”

Farm machinery is also in a tenuous position with many Canadian manufacturers selling a lot of equipment into the U.S.

In 2023, Saskatchewan exported about $834 million worth of agricultural equipment to the United States.

A portion of those exports were straw choppers and weed seed control units, manufactured by Redekop at its plant near Saskatoon.

Redekop has farmer customers in Montana, North Dakota, Kansas and other states who want a better chopper on their combine. The Redekop straw chopper cuts straw into fine pieces and evenly distributes the residue across the field, which is desirable for growers.

“We tend to focus on small grains and the higher volume of residue, where you have lots of straw,” Trevor Thiessen, chief executive officer of Redekop Manufacturing, said while sitting at a booth at the Commodity Classic, a trade show held in Denver March 2-4.

A spokesperson for another manufacturer of ag equipment on the Prairies, who also attended the Commodity Classic, said his company acted before March 4 to avoid the tariffs. The Manitoba business moved machinery across the border this winter and should have sufficient stock in the U.S. for many months of sales.

Redekop took similar action in February.

“We shipped pretty much 98 per cent of our (U.S.) distributor’s order already,” Thiessen said.

Manitoba-based Peak of the Market, a farmer-owned marketing board that sells Manitoba-grown vegetables in Canada, the United States, and occasionally overseas, is feeling the effects of trade uncertainty and the push to buy Canadian.

The company, which is a privately owned firm that sprung from a former provincially legislated monopoly, remains committed to supporting both domestic and international partners during the tariff war.

They’re also seeing some modest increase in Canadian demand as consumers on this side of the border move to buy Canadian products.

This does not bode well for the Canadian or American farmer,” said Pamela Kolochuk, CEO of Peak of the Market.

The National Farmers Union said the United States is threatening Canadian sovereignty and trade.

In a recent press release, the farm group says “a serious response” is needed to the tariffs, but any retaliatory measures must consider and protect Canadian farmers, farm workers and consumers.

While immediate measures are critical to addressing the situation, the NFU says a more long-term strategy is necessary, including a more substantial policy to external disruptions that will increase resilience, improve preparedness and reduce dependance on the United States, which is no longer a reliable trading partner.

“President Trump’s disruptive strategy and lack of respect for rules means we can no longer consider trade agreements reliable,” the NFU said.

Path forward

Western Producer markets columnist D’Arce McMillan lamented the lack of vision to wean Canada from its dependence on trade with the U.S.

“Canadians are again bemoaning our overwhelming trade dependence on the United States and asking ourselves why we don’t consume more of our own products and why we don’t sell more to other countries.

“U.S. president Donald Trump’s mad decision to launch a trade war against Canada has again forced Canadians into self-examination.

“We go through this regularly and, disappointingly, we have not been bold enough to tackle internal weaknesses that, if we fixed them, would make us more resilient.

“On the other hand, we can’t get around the fact that we live next door to a giant,” he wrote.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper was among the speakers at the Canadian Crops Convention in Edmonton, and he did not mince words when it came to the U.S. enforcing its tariffs on Canada.

“What happened on Tuesday with the imposition of these across-the-board tariffs, as a Canadian and from the standpoint of our nation, was the darkest day I have experienced since I left Ottawa. This is a very worrisome thing,” he said.

But he added that it is not all gloom and doom, as he does not expect the heavy-handed sweeping tariffs to last too long.

“We need to remember that no organization in the United States with any significance is asking for this. It really is the agenda of the President himself. And secondly, let’s not forget that while we are going to be hurt by this, it is Americans who are going to be hurt right away… So I think there will be pressure in the United States that will grow for this to be addressed,” Harper said.

The post Tariffs Day 3 – Donald sees the light — for now appeared first on Country Guide.

In a post on the Trump-owned Truth Social, Trump wrote that “after speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA agreement” and noted this was in effect until April 2.

He said the move was made out of “respect for President Sheinbaum,” and described the relationship as a “very good one” and praised Mexico for its hard work and co-operation on border issues.

At the same time the Reuters news service reported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as saying that Canada will continue to be in a trade war with the United States for the foreseeable future, a day after what he called a “colourful” call with President Donald Trump.

Trudeau said Canada would continue to engage with senior Trump administration officials about tariffs Washington says it will impose on Canadian imports, reiterating that his goal was to get the measures removed.

“I can confirm that we will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

Canada immediately imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion of U.S. imports and Trudeau said those measures would remain in place until the Trump administration ended its trade action.

Trudeau and Trump, who accused Canada of not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants across the border, held a 50-minute call on Wednesday.

“It was a colourful call. It was also a very substantive call,” said Trudeau, adding that the two sides were in talks but had nothing to announce yet.

“We are … trying to make sure that these tariffs don’t overly harm, certainly in the short term, certain sectors.”

One topic of conversation is Canada possibly delaying a second round of 25 per cent tariffs on a further $125 billion of U.S. imports, due to come into effect in less than three weeks.

Trump will exempt automakers from tariffs on Canada and Mexico for one month as long as they comply with existing free trade rules, the White House said on Wednesday.

The post Mexico dodges U.S. tariffs temporarily appeared first on Country Guide.

That kicked of Tuesday, and with just over 24 hours past, it’s still a fast-moving situation.

Here’s what Glacier FarmMedia learned today.

The politics

U.S. President Donald Trump made a lengthy speech to U.S. congress last night, which included a promise of more tariffs on Canadian goods coming on April 2.

“April second, reciprocal tariffs kick in,” Trump said in his address. “Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them, that’s reciprocal, back and forth.” He said this included “non-monetary barriers” used by other countries.

On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including $30 billion immediately, with another $125 billion to come in the next 21 days if the U.S. doesn’t back down.

Trump also called the tariffs “great for the American farmer.”

“I love the farmer,” Trump said, “who will now be selling into our home market, the USA, because nobody is going to be able to compete with you.”

“The tariffs will go on agricultural product coming into America and our farmers, starting on April 2. It may be a little bit of an adjustment period.”

According to a Reuters report, in a rebuttal to Trump’s speech, Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin refuted the idea that tariffs will help American agriculture.

“His tariffs on allies like Canada will raise prices on energy, lumber and cars and start a trade war that will hurt manufacturing and farmers,” Slotkin said.

Mexico may be shifting trade toward Canada, according to a Reuters news service report.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday her country could look to new trade alliances if U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs continue.

With Canada now looking to other export partners, Mexico could represent a new market for Canada’s agriculture and agri-food goods.

Sheinbaum said in a morning press conference Mexico “will reach out to Canada and other nations,” if the tariffs continue.

“It is a very definitive moment for Mexico,” Sheinbaum said. “Our economy is fine, but there will be no submission. … Depending on the circumstances, we will look to Canada and other countries.”

The Carve Out

Meantime, even as agriculture remained in the tariff crosshairs, Reuters was reporting the auto sector was getting a one-month reprieve from tariffs, provided they were following the rules of the CUSMA free-trade deal of 2019. “We are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA… so they are not at a disadvantage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday. “Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2.”

Trump raised the idea of a 30-day pause on USMCA-compliant vehicles in return for expanding production in the U.S. during a call on Tuesday with GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Jim Farley, Ford executive chair Bill Ford Jr. and Stellantis chairman John Elkann, Reuters reported earlier.

Automakers have expressed support for boosting U.S. investment but want certainty over tariff policies as well as vehicle emissions rules before making dramatic changes, two auto sources said.

Such a deal could be an especially welcome development for pickup-truck makers – and for their leading customers, who lean heavily towards Trump’s rural base of Republican voters.

About a third of U.S. pickups sold by American and foreign brands are manufactured in Mexico and Canada, according to research from Global Data.

Labour concerns

The Canadian pork sector, like most of Canadian agriculture, is bracing for the fallout of the U.S.’s decision to go ahead with tariffs against Canadian goods. For the pork market, highly integrated with the U.S., it’s potentially devastating.

Beyond the short-term carnage, however, the industry is also worried about what happens after market chaos smooths out. In particular, it’s worried that any tariff-driven slow down might, in the long run, cause its limited labour pool to evaporate further.

“We’re looking at how do we protect the people that work in the pork industry, the skilled labour that we have working on farms, working in our processing plants sector,” said Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork. “How do we protect those jobs, so that when we come into a recovery, when the tariffs are lifted, [those staff are] still there?”

Labour shortages have been a longstanding problem for agriculture in general, including the pork sector, gaps commonly filled through temporary foreign labour or other stop-gap measures.

Dahl said the central question is how to protect producers and others related to the pork sector, but he could not share the details of discussions taking place with the Province of Manitoba or with Ottawa, or what potential relief efforts for producers might include.

“I don’t know the answer to that yet,” Dahl said, though he encouraged pork producers with other questions to contact Manitoba Pork.

On the labour side, Manitoba Pork is discussing the potential of using employment insurance as a tool to protect workers in the pork sector, according to Joey Dearborn, the group’s communications co-ordinator.

Native land

The country’s Indigenous farmers also weighed in on the debate.

U.S. tariffs pose a danger to Indigenous farmers and the economy sovereignty and food security of Indigenous communities, said the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF).

Such trade barriers “threaten Indigenous agriculture, agri-food businesses, and the broader principles of fair and equitable trade,” NCIAF said in a news release.

NCIAF represents Indigenous agriculture producers and advocates for Indigenous perspectives and participation in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector and in key policy discussions.

NCIAF said it will continue to support Indigenous people in agriculture and their food systems. It encouraged Indigenous agribusinesses to continue connecting with each other, sharing concerns with NCIAF, and accessing NCIAF’s resources.

Indigenous peoples have played a critical role in trade and economics throughout North American history, NCIAF said. Without them and their knowledge of food systems, plant growth, and weather patterns, the first settlers wouldn’t have survived.

“Together, we will continue to strengthen our food sovereignty and economic resilience,” NCIAF said.

In Ontario

In the heart of southern Ontario’s farm country, U.S. tariffs dominated the atmosphere of the London Farm Show, which run from March 5 to 7, as exhibitors and attendees sought to mitigate the potential impact on the agriculture industry.

Rick Beunen, business development representative with Topigs Norsvin said he expects customers will feel the impact of tariffs in the near future. “We have to export 30,000 hogs a week. Our customers are going to be receiving less for their pigs when they cross the border,” he said.

Priyanka Gupta, outreach coordinator with Guardian Network, noted the current economic climate paired with the impact of tariffs can be tough on mental health. She said it’s normal to feel anxious right now and it’s important to “manage news consumption.”

Gupta suggested that taking breaks from the news can help manage anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed, and added that it’s important to take advantage of the available support resources.

Public comment

As Canada prepares for the worst when it comes to trade with the United States, forging stronger trading relationships with alternative markets is a top priority.

Farmers should take their fate in their own hands and ask their producer groups and associations to become more active on market access initiatives.

In fact they could be an important part of Canada’s ‘soft power’ efforts in a rapidly changing world the Western Producer editorial board argued.

Scott Garvey, Glacier FarmMedia machinery editor, also weighed in on the chaotic approach the U.S. was taking to the automotive sector, and how it might apply to farm machinery too.

The decision follows a pattern that has left trade relations between the United States, Canada and Mexico — along with most of the rest of the world — languishing in chaotic uncertainty, he wrote.

He added that the one-again-off again nature of the tariff war may be as much about keeping people on edge and Trump’s name in the headlines.

Staying positive

The Canadian Crops Convention kicked off in Edmonton today, under the shadow of U.S. tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs.

But it wasn’t all gloom and doom. In fact one of the key organizers, Erin Gowriluk of the Canada Grains Council struck a positive tone, noting that many of the key issues of the grain sector remain aligned throughout North America.

—With files from Reuters.

The post Tariffs Day 2 | Canadian agriculture remains in crosshairs appeared first on Country Guide.

Canada has immediately applied retaliatory tariffs, but the true scope of the fallout from this action is yet to be determined.

Most experts agree that Canadian agriculture will suffer.

In 2023 Canada sent more than US $40 billion of agricultural goods to the U.S., chief among them commodities like beef, pork and canola oil. And Canada is the No. 2 market for U.S. agricultural exports with sales of US $28.4 billion in 2023, using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The politics

Reuters news service reported this morning that U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada took effect, along with a doubling of duties on Chinese goods to 20 per cent, sparking trade wars that could slam economic growth and lift prices for Americans still smarting from years of high inflation.

The tariff actions, which could upend nearly $2.2 trillion in annual U.S. trade with its top three trading partners, went live at 12:01 a.m. EST. Trump declared that all three countries had failed to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the U.S.

Glacier FarmMedia correspondent Jonah Grignon reported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government is working on supports for Canadians impacted by U.S. tariffs and seeking new markets for exports.

Trudeau told media on Tuesday morning that Canada would be moving forward with retaliatory 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods. Tariffs will be added on a further $125 billion worth of products in 21 days if the U.S. doesn’t back down.

“I won’t sugar-coat it,” said Trudeau. “This is gonna be tough, even though we’re all gonna pull together.”

“But Canada, make no mistake,” the Prime Minister continued, “no matter how long this lasts, no matter what the cost, the federal government and other orders of government will be there for you. We will protect Canadian jobs. We will take measures to prevent predatory behaviour that threatens Canadian companies.”

Canada must retaliate against U.S. tariffs, and retaliatory tariffs should fund tax cuts, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also said on Tuesday.

“I’d like to speak to the millions of Canadians who are anxious today,” Poilievre said, addressing media on Parliament Hill. “To the auto workers, the forestry workers, the steel and aluminum workers, the mining and energy workers, the truckers, the farmers. To all of you who get out of bed before the sun rises and do the labour of the nation: you’re afraid right now, and I understand.”

“I want you to know I will fight for you. I will fight for your job. I will fight for your family.”

“First, we must retaliate,” Poilievre said, “targeting American goods in the following order: A, goods that we can make ourselves; B, goods we don’t need; and C, goods we can get from elsewhere.”

“Second counter-tariffs must not be a cash-cow for the government,” he continued. “Almost every penny of the tariffs collected should go to tax cuts, with a small sum set aside for targeted relief of workers hardest hit by the trade war.”

International response

China retaliated swiftly with hikes to import levies covering USD$21 billion worth of American agricultural and food products, moving the world’s top two economies a step closer towards an all-out trade war.

Beijing also slapped export and investment curbs on 25 U.S. firms, on grounds of national security, but, unlike when it retaliated against the Trump administration’s February 4 tariffs, this time avoided punishing any household names.

Follow all our coverage of the tariffs situation here

“Trying to exert extreme pressure on China is a miscalculation and a mistake,” a foreign ministry spokesperson told a press conference in Beijing, adding that China had never succumbed to bullying or coercion.

Mexico has not yet stated its retaliatory tariffs.

Calls for action

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture was one of the first farm groups out of the gate, calling for the federal government to take immediate action to help farmers weather a continental trade war.

“Canadian farmers cannot afford prolonged uncertainty,” said CFA president Keith Currie in a statement posted to X.

The CFA said the U.S. tariffs will have serious negative impacts on farmers, businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.

“Our agricultural industries are deeply integrated—not only as trading partners but also as suppliers of essential inputs like fertilizer,” Currie said. “A trade dispute between Canada and the U.S. benefits no one except our global competitors.”

Strong, diplomatic leadership is needed to resolve the conflict, he added.

Canadian grain farmers are bracing for significant economic hardship following the United States’ decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian grain and grain products.

The Grain Growers of Canada urged the Canadian government to take immediate action to eliminate the tariffs, highlighting the potential for widespread market instability, increased financial burdens on Canadian crop producers and increased food costs for American consumers.

The newly implemented tariffs threaten a vital trade relationship, with Canada exporting more than $17 billion worth of grain and grain products to the U.S. annually.

Kyle Larkin, executive director of GGC, expressed deep concern.

“Tariffs of this magnitude will put family run grain farms at risk by introducing widespread market uncertainty,” he said.

Canada, which exports more than 70 per cent of its grain production globally, relies heavily on international markets. The tariffs are expected to drive down farmgate prices for key crops such as wheat, canola, oats, barley, and pulses, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to remain financially viable.

“As price takers, grain farmers are at the whim of the global markets that we export to,” said Tara Sawyer, chair of GGC and an Alberta grain farmer.

The canola sector also said U.S. tariffs will levy considerable economic pain throughout that value chain.

“The U.S. decision to go forward with 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-grown canola and canola products will be felt across the canola value chain, with devastating impacts on farmers, input providers, canola crushing activities, and exports of canola seed, oil, and meal,” said Chris Davison, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) president and CEO, in a media release.

The U.S. is Canada’s number one market for canola exports and also a market that is highly integrated with the Canadian canola industry. Total export value in 2023 was $8.6 billion and in 2024 reached $7.7 billion, with record high volumes including 3.3 million tonnes of canola oil and 3.8 million tonnes of canola meal.

The national canola growers’ group also weighed in.

“The uncertainty created by this situation continues to impact farmers as they inch closer to planting the 2025 crop,” said Rick White, Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) president and CEO. “The damaging blow caused by tariffs will be felt by every canola farmer, starting with the price they receive at delivery and will extend to the full range of their operations, ultimately reducing farm profitability.”

A recent analysis completed by the CCC on the impact Canadian-grown canola has on the U.S. economy also draws attention to the economic benefits the U.S. derives from the Canadian canola industry, which averages US$11.2 billion per year and includes US$1.2 billion in wages.

Pork industry groups across Canada said they’re engaged in serious discussions with the federal and provincial governments over how to protect producers as best they can from U.S. tariffs.

“The Canadian Pork Council is actively engaged in discussions with the federal government to assess the potential impacts of the U.S. tariffs on Canada’s pork industry,” said René Roy, chair of Canadian Pork Council, in an email to the Manitoba Co-operator. “Our priority is to safeguard the competitiveness of Canadian pork producers and maintain stability across the sector. We continue to advocate for solutions that will mitigate financial strain and protect market access for our producers.”

Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork, said they are looking at how to protect producers and others who work in the pork industry. He said he couldn’t share the details of discussions taking place with the Province of Manitoba or with Ottawa, or what potential relief efforts for producers might include.

“How do we protect those jobs, so that when we come into a recovery when the tariffs are lifted, they’re still there?” Dahl said. “I don’t know the answer to that yet

The post Tariffs Day 1 | Trade war commences as Canadian agricultural sector braces appeared first on Country Guide.

Today the Trump administration confirmed that previously announced tariffs of 25 per cent will be applied to imports of a broad range of Canadian goods, including canola seed, oil, and meal, effective immediately.

“The U.S. decision to go forward with 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-grown canola and canola products will be felt across the canola value chain, with devastating impacts on farmers, input providers, canola crushing activities, and exports of canola seed, oil, and meal,” said Chris Davison, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) president and CEO, in a media release.

NUMBER ONE CANOLA MARKET

The U.S. is Canada’s number one market for canola exports and also a market that is highly integrated with the Canadian canola industry. Total export value in 2023 was $8.6 billion and in 2024 reached $7.7 billion, with record high volumes including 3.3 million tonnes of canola oil and 3.8 million tonnes of canola meal.

The national canola growers’ group also weighed in.

“The uncertainty created by this situation continues to impact farmers as they inch closer to planting the 2025 crop,” said Rick White, Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) president and CEO. “The damaging blow caused by tariffs will be felt by every canola farmer, starting with the price they receive at delivery and will extend to the full range of their operations, ultimately reducing farm profitability.”

A recent analysis completed by the CCC on the impact Canadian-grown canola has on the U.S. economy also draws attention to the economic benefits the U.S. derives from the Canadian canola industry, which averages US$11.2 billion per year and includes US$1.2 billion in wages.

There is U.S.-based processing and refining, transportation, bottling and packing, and it is also widely used in food products, restaurants, and the livestock sector on that side of the border.

STRENGTHENING TRADE RELATIONSHIPS

The two groups said they will be “focused on strengthening the Canada-U.S. trade relationship and amplifying the mutual benefit our nations receive from canola trade” by conducting advocacy activities in the U.S. and engaging with the Canadian government to advance the canola sector’s interests.

“The canola industry delivers a true win-win for both Canada and the U.S., and we must do everything we can to restore smooth, predictable, tariff-free canola trade between our two countries,” the release read.

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MacAulay made the announcement March 1 in a statement he shared on social media.

“With a heavy heart, but no regrets, I have decided that I will not be a candidate in the next federal election,” he wrote.

MacAulay, who represents the eastern Prince Edward Island riding of Cardigan, is the longest-serving member of Parliament in the island’s history.

He was first elected in 1988, and has held the office for more than 36 years, through 11 elections and six prime ministers.

MacAulay first joined cabinet in 1997 in the Chretien government, as labour minister. He also served as solicitor general, and was first appointed to the agriculture portfolio in 2015 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He held that post until 2019, when he moved to veteran’s affairs, and returned to agriculture for a second posting during a 2023 cabinet shuffle.

MacAulay indicated he’d been considering retiring from public office for some time to spend more time with his family.

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In a letter shared with media and addressed to Greg Orencsak, deputy minister of Health Canada (the agency that oversees the PMRA), CropLife Canada president and CEO Pierre Petelle called the initiatives “rushed through” and said the agency had “little regard for the negative impact they will have on the competitiveness of the agriculture sector.”

The letter, dated Jan. 29, called for an immediate pause to a number of initiatives; including changes to fees, oversight policies and various other regulatory changes.

“An immediate pause is necessary to assess the detailed impact of these measures on the agriculture industry at a time when it is already facing extreme uncertainty,” Petelle wrote.

In an email to Glacier FarmMedia, Erin O’Hara, CropLife Canada’s vice-president of communications and member services, noted the urgency of the request and likened the call to capital gains tax changes, which have also raised considerable consternation in the agriculture sector.

“While trying to mitigate the risks from this threat, political and business leaders alike agree that Canada must put a greater emphasis on the things within its control to boost productivity and competitiveness at home,” she wrote.

Changes at the PMRA

The federal agency’s review was announced in August 2021, and the federal government said the goal was to improve the agency around four pillars:

• improved transparency,

• increased use of real-world data and independent advice,

• strengthened human health and environmental protection through modernized pesticide business processes and

• a targeted review of the Pest Control Products Act.

The government said they aimed to make it easier for the public to get involved in decision making and increase transparency in their operations.

One step was the creation of the Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products in Canada in early 2022, to which CropLife Canada objected.

Speaking to the Manitoba Co-operator at the time, CropLife Canada president and CEO Pierre Petelle worried that politics could override science, as he claimed it had already in the European Union.

“Their [EU] system is completely driven by politics and the science is routinely ignored,” Petelle said. “Again, I am not saying we’re there, but this is a very troubling development.”

The post CropLife Canada calls for halt to Pest Management Regulatory Agency changes, cites tariffs appeared first on Country Guide.