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	Country GuideArticles Written by Miranda Leybourne - Country Guide	</title>
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	<link>https://www.country-guide.ca/contributor/miranda-leybourne/</link>
	<description>Your Farm. Your Conversation.</description>
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		<title>Western Grains Research Foundation commits $2.71M to new crop research projects</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/western-grains-research-foundation-commits-2-71m-to-new-crop-research-projects/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:50:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Funding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Variety development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/western-grains-research-foundation-commits-2-71m-to-new-crop-research-projects/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">&#60; 1</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minute</span></span> The Western Grains Research Foundation has committed $2.71 million to fund 15 new crop-related research projects across Western Canada. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/western-grains-research-foundation-commits-2-71m-to-new-crop-research-projects/">Western Grains Research Foundation commits $2.71M to new crop research projects</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="https://wgrf.ca/" target="_blank">Western Grains Research Foundation</a> (WGRF) has committed $2.71 million to fund 15 new crop-related research projects across Western Canada.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The research WGRF is investing in is intended to provide farmers with new tools to improve profitability on the farm,&rdquo; said WGRF board chair Laura Reiter in a Jan. 13 news release.</p>
<p>These projects aim to create crop varieties that can better withstand challenges in the field, focusing on improving <a href="https://www.grainews.ca/crops/in-disease-resistance-sunflowers-dont-shine/" target="_blank">resistance to diseases</a> and <a href="https://www.grainews.ca/crops/fall-rye-and-oat-nurse-crops-show-mixed-results-for-flea-beetle-suppression/" target="_blank">insects</a>, and developing useful new traits for farmers.</p>
<p>All of these projects align with the organization&rsquo;s research priorities, said WGRF executive director Wayne Thompson.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The funding will work toward the priorities of WGRF to support research that will lead to new crop varieties and management practices,&rdquo; Thompson said in the release.</p>
<p>Funding is a joint effort between WGRF; Saskatchewan&rsquo;s Agriculture Development Fund, which includes federal funding through the Sustainable CAP agreement; and producer groups.</p>
<p>The WGRF website will share the full list of funded projects once all the research contracts are finished.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/western-grains-research-foundation-commits-2-71m-to-new-crop-research-projects/">Western Grains Research Foundation commits $2.71M to new crop research projects</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>GMO food labelling review opens questions on gene editing</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/gmo-food-labelling-review-opens-questions-on-gene-editing/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 21:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop varieties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gene editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Variety development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/gmo-food-labelling-review-opens-questions-on-gene-editing/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> Canada is wrestling with how gene-editing should translate to voluntary genetically modified food labels, or whether it even should </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/gmo-food-labelling-review-opens-questions-on-gene-editing/">GMO food labelling review opens questions on gene editing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The debate over how foods <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/gene-editing-digs-deeper-space-in-canadian-plant-breeding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">produced with gene editin</a><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/gene-editing-digs-deeper-space-in-canadian-plant-breeding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">g</a> should be labelled is open for discussion with Ottawa.</p>
<p>Canada’s national standard for companies to voluntary label genetically modified foods is currently open for public review. Part of that involves comment on how gene editing should be defined within the standard and where they do, or do not, fit in the rules.</p>
<p>The federal consultation is accepting comments until Jan. 23.</p>
<p><strong>WHY IT MATTERS: Canada has already ruled that gene-edited plants <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/the-trade-take-on-cfias-gene-editing-decision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don’t need to meet</a> the stricter threshold that genetically modified plants do to be approved for cultivation (as long as there’s no foreign DNA involved), and that gene-edited crops are <a href="https://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/daily/cfia-declares-gene-editing-safe-for-livestock-feed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safe for livestock feed</a>. Now, the topic is entering the food labelling arena.</strong></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.producer.com/news/canada-quiet-about-mandatory-gm-food-labelling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">standard in question</a> is formally titled CAN/CGSB-32.315 Voluntary Labelling and Advertising of Foods That Are and Are Not Products of Genetic Engineering. It provides guidance on how food companies may decide to mark packaging as to whether products are or are not, products of genetic engineering. This standard is maintained by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB).</p>
<p>Canada does not require genetically engineered or gene-edited foods to be labelled differently from other foods, according to the federal government’s website. Claims are voluntary, although they must be truthful and not misleading under the <em>Food and Drugs Act</em> and related regulations.</p>
<p>According to the Standards Council of Canada, the purpose of the voluntary labelling standard is to provide a framework for truthful labelling, not to create mandatory requirements.</p>
<h3><strong>Edited versus modified</strong></h3>
<p>Industry groups such as the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) have noted that the federal government’s current proposal would draw a line between gene editing and genetic modification —similar to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s take on the subject in recent years. Seed and feed guidance in recent years have put gene-edited plants on largely the same regulatory ground as conventionally bred crops, unless <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/gene-editing-up-a-better-canola-crop-feature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign genetic material</a> is being incorporated, in which case they’re back to needing a pre-market safety assessment and authorization before they hit the farmer’s field.</p>
<p>Those decisions have drawn ire from the <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/organics-continue-battle-with-gene-editing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organic sector</a>, worried about contamination with their crops, and praise from much of the rest of the seed sector as a gateway to faster innovation and variety development.</p>
<p>The CHFA, meanwhile, says the new label proposal could allow foods made with gene-editing techniques to be marketed as not genetically engineered, despite gene editing being a form of genetic modification in scientific terms.</p>
<p>In a CHFA report released in October, the association argued that a majority of Canadians surveyed by the study believed gene editing is a form of genetic engineering and that labelling should disclose its use.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/gmo-food-labelling-review-opens-questions-on-gene-editing/">GMO food labelling review opens questions on gene editing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Acknowledging the past, seeking a better future</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-acknowledging-the-past-seeking-a-better-future/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:37:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Truth and Reconciliation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-acknowledging-the-past-seeking-a-better-future/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> How can the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples be honoured in a way that gives them a proper seat at the table when it comes to farming in Canada? </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-acknowledging-the-past-seeking-a-better-future/">National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Acknowledging the past, seeking a better future</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Anyone with a modest amount of historical knowledge knows that Canada’s Indigenous populations have a long and rich history tied to the land and agriculture.</p>



<p>Indigenous communities in North America were <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/first-farmers-of-manitoba-honoured-in-new-exhibit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultivating crops such as potatoes and corn</a> long before anyone from Europe had heard of the crops. Materials from the Manitoba Museum cite evidence of agriculture in the eastern United States dating back 3,800 years.</p>



<p>More locally, bison scapula bones found in Gainsborough Creek in 2018 showed convincing evidence of pre-European contact farming in the Melita region. And agriculture was an undisputedly big part of the Métis way of life in the Great Lakes region. Farms surrounded fur trade posts by the 16th century, and some cereals were being farmed in the 1830s.</p>



<p>When it comes to reconciliation, agriculture presents a unique challenge. How can the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples be honoured in a way that gives them a proper seat at the table when it comes to farming in Canada?</p>



<p>It’s something that groups like the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) in Manitoba, headed by Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, and the Manitoba Métis Federation, with its agriculture minister, David Beaudin, have been working on for years. I recently had the chance to speak with both about why they feel agriculture is so important, and what still needs to be done.</p>



<p>Daniels and Beaudin share views on several pivotal issues, including engaging youth and the continued importance of food security. Both expressed that, while regular conversations do take place with the Manitoba government, there’s still a ways to go when it comes to proper recognition and reconciliation.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/197130_web1_Indigenous-farm-and-food-tour_09.25.2025_Janelle-Rudolph-1024x900.jpg" alt="Attendees of the Indigenous Farm and Food Festival in Batoche, Sask., stand in a swathed canola field in late September 2025. " class="wp-image-154916"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Attendees of the Indigenous Farm and Food Festival in Batoche, Sask., stand in a swathed canola field in late September 2025. Photo: Janelle Rudolph</figcaption></figure>



<p>Currently, there are several programs funded by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP) that would partner with Indigenous communities, such as the Indigenous Agriculture &amp; Food Systems Program and the Indigenous Agricultural Relationship Development Program. Eligible activities include revitalizing traditional food systems; training, skill and resource development; climate change adaptation; increasing Indigenous participation in agriculture; engagement between industry, academia and Indigenous Peoples and the development and delivery of engagement activities.</p>



<p>I was unable to find a list of specific projects that have benefited, although Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn highlighted Fox Lake Cree Nation’s Food for All program and collaboration with Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation, Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and the SCO on bison-related projects.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, both the MMF and the SCO have made strides towards <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/guide-business/transforming-the-house/?_gl=1*1kehg31*_ga*NTcxMTI0ODkwLjE3MDc1MDYwOTM.*_ga_ZHEKTK6KD0*czE3NTkxNzY3NTMkbzU1NSRnMSR0MTc1OTE3NzM2NiRqNjAkbDAkaDA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">agricultural autonomy</a> through their own programming, including garden box programs, community gardens, <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-metis-federation-rolls-out-on-farm-climate-action-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate action </a><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-metis-federation-rolls-out-on-farm-climate-action-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans</a>, <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/livestock/bison-in-the-blood/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bison herds</a> and lobbying for more access to Crown lands.</p>



<p>It seems like both Indigenous organizations and the Manitoba government are eager for relationship building and programming designed to reclaim agricultural traditions tied to local Indigenous history and culture. There are stories like these emerging across Canada.</p>



<p>I think education is another important aspect—not just having Indigenous leaders with ties to the land remind their people, especially the youth, of their rich agricultural traditions, but for Manitobans who descended from settlers to learn that history and those tradition as well. If anything, it will only lead to more common ground between Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous farmers, both of whom are tied to the land in real, rich, and meaningful ways.</p>



<p>Hopefully soon, this country’s fertile soil might produce the right growing conditions not just for healthy crops, but for more healthy relationships built on respect, understanding and a motivation to keep moving forward together.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-acknowledging-the-past-seeking-a-better-future/">National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Acknowledging the past, seeking a better future</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>New wild pig website launches in Canada</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/new-wild-pig-website-launches-in-canada/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:56:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild pigs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/new-wild-pig-website-launches-in-canada/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">&#60; 1</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minute</span></span> A new website has joined the fight against invasive wild pigs in Canada, aiming to offer tools, information and resources to educate the public and offer them a way to report wild pig sightings. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/new-wild-pig-website-launches-in-canada/">New wild pig website launches in Canada</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A new website has joined the fight against <a href="https://youtu.be/ahntWcDMj7Y?si=BHMsF1o2bhLjkobA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasive wild pigs</a> in Canada, aiming to offer tools, information and resources to educate the public and offer them a way to report wild pig sightings.</p>
<p>Developed by Invasives Canada, Animal Health Canada and the Invasive Wild Pig Leadership Group, the website, Wild Pigs Canada, was announced on Aug. 20.</p>
<p>“Animal Health Canada is proud to be a collaborator on the new Wild Pigs Canada website that shares information to support the prevention, management and removal of <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/the-made-in-manitoba-fight-against-wild-pigs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasive wild pigs</a> from the Canadian website,” said Dr. Leigh Rosengren, industry co-chair on Animal Health Canada’s board of directors in an Aug. 20 news release.</p>
<p>The website represents a team effort across sectors, said Rebecca Lord, executive director of Invasives Canada.</p>
<p>“Wild Pigs Canada is the result of the strong and meaningful co-ordination across sectors and regions, developed through our partnership with Animal Health Canada and the Invasive Wild Pig Leadership Group, and informed by our ongoing work with international partners in the U.S. and Mexico,” Lord said in the release.</p>
<p>Farmers, hunters, hikers and the general public are encouraged to use the website for keeping up to date with information about<a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/tracking-manitobas-wild-pigs-down-to-the-edna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> wild pigs in Canada</a> and to know what to do if one is sighted.</p>
<p>Wild pigs can be destructive to natural habitats and crops and may be a vector for disease.</p>
<p>“Remember, people on the land and out in nature are our first line of defense against invasive species like wild pigs,” said Matt DeMille, executive director of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in the release.</p>
<p>To learn more or report a sighting, visit WildPigs.ca.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/new-wild-pig-website-launches-in-canada/">New wild pig website launches in Canada</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Parties unitedly condemn China tariffs on Canadian canola</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/parties-unitedly-condemn-china-tariffs-on-canadian-canola/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:02:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Canola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tariffs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade dispute]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/parties-unitedly-condemn-china-tariffs-on-canadian-canola/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">6</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> China's 75.8 per cent tariffs against Canadian canola seed called 'unjustified' spark calls for immediate federal response from Canada's Liberal government. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/parties-unitedly-condemn-china-tariffs-on-canadian-canola/">Parties unitedly condemn China tariffs on Canadian canola</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Glacier FarmMedia</em> — Political leaders across party lines are demanding immediate action from Ottawa in light of <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/canadian-farmers-reel-as-china-blocks-top-canola-seed-market/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China’s new tariffs</a> against Canadian canola.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-premier-urges-federal-support-in-face-of-chinese-canola-tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manitoba Premier Wab </a><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-premier-urges-federal-support-in-face-of-chinese-canola-tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kinew</a>, Progressive Conservative critics, federal NDP and federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre are all calling for urgent government intervention in the matter.</p>
<p>WHY IT MATTERS</p>
<p>The latest move in the trade dispute between Canada and China risks effectively shutting Canadian producers out of one of their <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/canadian-farmers-reel-as-china-blocks-top-canola-seed-market/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most important canola seed markets</a>.</p>
<p>China’s preliminary 75.8 per cent tariff on all Canadian canola seed shipments, which took effect Aug. 14, is the most recent escalation in a months-long trade spat. Last year, China announced an anti-dumping investigation against Canadian canola seed, a move many considered <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/op-ed/china-threat-on-canola-unpalatable-not-surprising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retaliation for Canada’s decision</a> to impose 100 per cent tariffs against Chinese electric vehicles. In March, China imposed 100 per cent duties against canola meal, oil and peas, as well as 25 per cent duties on pork and aquatic products, pointing to Canadian tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.</p>
<p>China has claimed that its investigation found the Canadian canola industry has benefited from substantial government subsidies and preferential policies, a claim that Canadian industry and government disputes.</p>
<p>China has since announced another anti-dumping investigation into <a href="https://www.producer.com/crops/china-launches-anti-dumping-investigation-into-canadian-pea-starch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian pea starch</a>.</p>
<p>Canola Council of Canada president Chris Davison confirmed the severity of the situation in an Aug. 12 press release.</p>
<p>“With this preliminary determination of dumping for canola seed together with the existing 100 per cent anti-discrimination tariffs on canola meal and oil, the Chinese market is effectively closed to the Canadian canola industry,” Davison said.</p>
<p><strong>Politicians call for federal action</strong></p>
<p>“Yesterday, a billion dollars. That’s what the Chinese tariffs cost Western Canada,” Kinew said at a press conference in Winnipeg on the afternoon of Aug. 13, a day after the new canola tariff was announced. “Today, you’re talking about a further impact, hundreds of millions of dollars, and this is primarily going to be born by the farmer in the field.”</p>
<p>Federal NDP echoed Kinew in a press release Aug. 13. NDP critics for agriculture (Gord Johns) and international trade (Heather McPherson) said China’s move “demands urgent action from the Liberal government.”</p>
<p>Speaking from a Saskatchewan grain farm Aug. 14, <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/poilievre-promises-ev-action-and-calls-for-canola-compensation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poilievre criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney’s handling</a> of Chinese relations, especially a taxpayer-backed loan for B.C. Ferries to buy Chinese-made vessels.</p>
<p>“Can you imagine that the sign of weakness that Carney is sending to the dictatorship in Beijing? You tax and tariff our farmers, and we’ll give you a billion-dollar loan to create jobs in your country,” Poilievre said.</p>
<p><div attachment_154111class="wp-caption alignnone" style="max-width: 1210px;"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-154111 size-full" src="https://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/173878_web1_canola-flowers1-StockholmSask-July2025-GMB.jpeg" alt="Canadian canola seed now joins the canola products with active tariffs on them from China. Photo: Greg Berg" width="1200" height="900" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Canadian canola seed now joins the canola products with active tariffs on them from China. Photo: Greg Berg</span></figcaption></div></p>
<p>In a post on X Aug. 14, Carney said that he had spoken to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe on the matter and discussed farm support, although no specifics had been announced as of press time.</p>
<p>Carney also said federal agriculture and international trade ministers had met with industry</p>
<p>“Canada does not dump canola,” the prime minister wrote. “Canadian canola products meet the highest standards and our inspection systems are robust.</p>
<p>“We will advance a constructive dialogue with Chinese officials to address our respective trade concerns, while diversifying our trade abroad and supporting our canola producers at home.”</p>
<p><strong>Farmers worried</strong></p>
<p>The timing couldn’t be worse for<a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/harvest-begins-in-manitoba-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Manitoba farmers entering harvest </a><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/harvest-begins-in-manitoba-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season</a>, according to Manitoba Canola Growers chair Warren Ellis, who joined Kinew at the podium in Winnipeg, along with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Jill Verwey.</p>
<p>“We don’t know how long it’s going to last. There’s just so many things we don’t know,” Ellis said. “Farmers are going to harvest their crop and they’re going to have to make a decision. Are they going to store it and wait for calmer times, or are they going to dump it on the market and take their loss, or are they going to end up doing a combination of that?”</p>
<p>China represents the canola industry’s “second-largest customer,” making the market closure particularly devastating, he added.</p>
<p>“All the loans we take out, all the cash flow that we use to finance growing the crop, now paying that back is in jeopardy. It’s really critical that solutions come up. We can’t be left to drift here.”</p>
<p>Verwey, meanwhile, argued for a comprehensive federal strategy that handles trade issues and negotiations deftly.</p>
<p>“The volatility and the prices of our crops places undue strain on our producers, specifically and directly at this point of time when farmers are out taking the crops off right now,” she said.</p>
<p><div attachment_154110class="wp-caption alignnone" style="max-width: 1210px;"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-154110 size-full" src="https://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/173878_web1_canola-tariffs-press-conference-Winnipeg-Aug-13-2025-2.jpg" alt="Left to right: Manitoba Canola Growers Chair Warren Ellis, Keystone Agricultural Producers President Jill Verwey and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at a press conference on Chinese tariffs on Aug. 13, 2025 in Winnipeg. Photo: Screen capture/Manitoba Government" width="1200" height="646.02851323829" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Left to right: Manitoba Canola Growers Chair Warren Ellis, Keystone Agricultural Producers President Jill Verwey and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at a press conference on Chinese tariffs on Aug. 13, 2025 in Winnipeg. Photo: Screen capture/Manitoba Government</span></figcaption></div></p>
<p>ˆ</p>
<p><strong>China trade escalation and EVs</strong></p>
<p>Both Kinew and Poilievre suggested that money from Chinese electric vehicle duties should support canola growers, in light of the economic damage to their sector.</p>
<p>“When we look at what has brought us to this situation, it is the EV tariffs that the federal government chose to apply to the Chinese producers that got this retaliation put in place, and so that’s why we’re asking the federal government to use those revenues that they’ve been collecting,” Kinew said.</p>
<p>Poilievre said that “I think we should look at ways we can penalize the regime in Beijing for targeting our farmers,” but also argued that China’s trade hostility predates the electric vehicle dispute.</p>
<p>“Let’s recognize that China’s tariffs on our canola producers are totally unjustified. They had already targeted our beef producers before there were any EV tariffs imposed on them,” Poilievre said. “So, the Chinese government has mistreated our economy for many years.”</p>
<p>China <a href="https://www.producer.com/news/canada-waits-for-china-to-lift-bse-ban-on-beef/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked Canadian beef imports</a> back in 2021, following an atypical BSE case found in Alberta. Beef, pork and canola have all had previous trade hurdles with China in the last decade prior to the latest flare in relations.</p>
<p>The federal NDP also cited a broader pattern of trade escalation, pointing to existing impact from Chinese tariffs on canola meal and oil.</p>
<p><strong>Even footing</strong></p>
<p>Both Kinew and federal New Democrats are demanding Ottawa provide the same level of support for agriculture that other industries have received during trade disputes. The Manitoba premier pointed to comprehensive federal responses to U.S. tariffs, which included countertariffs, strengthened import controls, and a $6-billion aid package for affected businesses.</p>
<p>“We know that agricultural producers are the pillars of their communities, and are a source of strength for the Prairies, and really for all of Canada, and so as they navigate these turbulent waters, we need to see this sort of support from the federal government,” Kinew said.</p>
<p>When asked about federal support for canola producers compared to other industries, Poilievre pointed to what he says is unequal treatment for Western producers.</p>
<p>“The forestry sector received some federal support about a week ago. It’s a similar size to the canola industry,” he said. “I think I’m 100 per cent behind the auto workers, steel workers, aluminum workers and forestry workers. Obviously, we should back them up, because they have faced unfair tariffs from the U.S., but the same support and attention should be given to our farmers.”</p>
<p>The federal NDP is asking for the federal government to increase the cap on cash advances to exceed the current limit of $250,000 under the Advance Payments Program.</p>
<p><strong>In-province criticism</strong></p>
<p>While Kinew has focused his criticism on federal policy, provincial Progressive Conservative opposition members are targeting his government’s handling of agricultural support. The party’s ag critic, Jeff Bereza, asked what the NDP government is doing to support Manitoba canola producers in an Aug. 12 statement.</p>
<p>“I’ve talked with farmers and cattle producers across Manitoba, and they are suffering,” he said. “Drought conditions are plaguing the Interlake. U.S. and Chinese tariffs are causing widespread disruptions and uncertainty to southern Manitoba. 2025 has been one of the worst years for the ag industry and we’re hearing nothing from the NDP.”</p>
<p>He added that “We’ve known these tariffs were coming. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.”</p>
<p>“What has Wab Kinew’s NDP government done to open up new markets for Manitoba’s ag producers?”</p>
<p>In July, the province and federal government said they were facilitating faster insurance payouts, loan deferrals and were moving the quality line on crop insurance to open up more drought-stricken cereal crops for the feed stream in light of drought conditions.</p>
<p>Kinew pointed to those moves, but argued the scale of the crisis requires federal intervention. The tariff impact extends far beyond individual farms, creating “spillover” effects throughout provincial and national economies, he said.</p>
<p>“When it comes to this relationship, there’s a lot of national security and other dynamics when we’re talking about the Chinese Communist Party, but at the same time, we have to engage. This is the second-biggest economy in the world,” Kinew said.</p>
<p><strong>Weathering the storm</strong></p>
<p>Despite the current issues, Ellis offered a message of cautious optimism.</p>
<p>“This is a problem. It’s devastating,” he said. “But we’ve got good partners in our premier and government, along with KAP, the Canadian Canola Growers. We’ve got numerous people working on this, and I think we need to consider that this will also pass.</p>
<p>“What we have to do is stay together, work together, and understand that this may not be solved quickly, but we’ve got good people on it with good hearts moving in the right direction.”</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/parties-unitedly-condemn-china-tariffs-on-canadian-canola/">Parties unitedly condemn China tariffs on Canadian canola</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Keep it clean on pre-harvest chemical use</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/keep-it-clean-on-pre-harvest-chemical-use/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:40:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drone spraying]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pesticides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spraying]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/keep-it-clean-on-pre-harvest-chemical-use/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> Canadian farmers urged to toe the line on pre-harvest pesticide application and market product restrictions to avoid grain marketing headaches. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/keep-it-clean-on-pre-harvest-chemical-use/">Keep it clean on pre-harvest chemical use</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As harvest approaches, Keep It Clean is reminding producers to take steps to make sure they’re not caught on the wrong side of maximum residue limits.</p>
<p>International regulations are a complex web for Canadian producers, speakers on a late-July Keep It Clean webinar warned.</p>
<p>“When you think about the different crops that are represented, our major field crops, canola, our cereals and our pulses, a large proportion of those are exported,” noted Krista Zuzak, director of crop protection and production for Cereals Canada.</p>
<p><strong>WHY IT MATTERS: Failing to <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/tag/keep-it-clean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follow the pesticide label</a> or pre-harvest application windows sets farmers up for marketing issues and also risks Canada’s international trade reputation. </strong></p>
<p>This export dependency means farmers must consider regulations beyond Canada’s borders, Zuzak added.</p>
<p>“Countries do have the right to set their standards and their rules that are around human and plant animal or environmental health,” she said.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/keep-it-clean-flags-new-2025-farm-chemical-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glufosinate-ammonium</a> is a prime example, said Jeff English, vice-president of marketing and communications at Pulse Canada. While glufosinate-ammonium has generic registration for lentils in Western Canada, it shouldn’t be used due to misaligned and unset maximum residue limits, he warned.</p>
<p>Even glyphosate, widely used for pre-harvest weed control, carries market risks.</p>
<p>“We do have MRLs established in all major markets,” English said. However, the product is still flagged for caution because market acceptance varies based on end users.</p>
<h3><strong>Technology innovation meets trade reality</strong></h3>
<p>The disconnect between domestic approvals and international acceptance extends to new technologies. Zuzak pointed to spray drones as an example of innovation constrained by market considerations.</p>
<p>“While there are a lot of advancements in research happening around this technology, <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/drone-spraying-makes-progress-towards-approval/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spray drones</a> cannot yet be used to apply pesticides on field crops in Canada,” she said. “Currently, there aren’t any agriculture field crop chemicals or pesticides that have labels right now that authorize spray drone use.”</p>
<p>Applying via drone, besides being illegal, is thus also considered an off-label use and could pose a market risk.</p>
<h3><strong>Daily decisions carry global consequences</strong></h3>
<p>The complexity translates into detailed operational requirements for farmers.</p>
<p>Curtis Rempel, vice-president of crop production and innovation at the Canola Council of Canada, said that careful precision is required for glyphosate applications on canola.</p>
<p>“For canola staging, because of the indeterminate nature of the crop, it can be a little tricky, but we have enough research, and I think, enough visual guidelines now to really indicate that 30 per cent moisture is 50 to 60 per cent seed color change,” he said.</p>
<p>Farmers must also consider disease management for trade purposes.</p>
<h3><strong>Market-driven precaution</strong></h3>
<p>So far, the industry has adopted a precautionary approach where even legal products may be restricted based on market concerns rather than safety issues.</p>
<p>“We have our product advisory … which is annually updated, as well as our pre-harvest glyphosate staging guides and our pre harvest interval calculator,” Zuzak said.</p>
<p>The importance of farmer-buyer communication can’t be overstated, English said.</p>
<p>“We always recommend talking to your grain buyer before application, just to confirm as a fail safe.”</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/keep-it-clean-on-pre-harvest-chemical-use/">Keep it clean on pre-harvest chemical use</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Governments offer aid to drought-affected Manitoba livestock producers</title>

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		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/governments-offer-aid-to-drought-affected-manitoba-livestock-producers/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:22:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriinsurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drought]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[federal government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/governments-offer-aid-to-drought-affected-manitoba-livestock-producers/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> Manitoba and the federal governement are teaming up to support Manitoba livestock producers who are being hit hard by drought conditions. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/governments-offer-aid-to-drought-affected-manitoba-livestock-producers/">Governments offer aid to drought-affected Manitoba livestock producers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Glacier FarmMedia</em>—The federal and provincial governments have announced support measures to help Manitoba livestock producers affected by <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/transition-to-drought-expected-to-be-swifter-this-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drought conditions</a>, including faster insurance payouts and the ability to defer loan payments.</p>
<p>The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support through its AgriInsurance program to improve cash flow for producers needing additional feed, Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said in an announcement made on July 23.</p>
<p>“Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy. We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions,” MacDonald said in a press release sent out that day. “These program changes will ensure producers in Manitoba receive claim payouts faster, so they can source other feed options as quickly as possible.”</p>
<p>MASC will apply a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40 per cent for drought-stricken cereal crops converted to livestock feed. The adjustment covers wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, triticale and grain corn. The same measure was last used in 2021 and resulted in over 100,000 acres of grain crops being converted to livestock feed.</p>
<p>Producers with forage and pasture insurance will also see changes, including the option to defer premium payments on claims made before Oct. 1, receive partial payments when possible, and allow livestock to graze insured forage after the first cut without penalty.</p>
<p>“We recognize that some of Manitoba’s livestock producers are facing challenging conditions with the lack of precipitation in certain regions of the province,” Kostyshyn said.</p>
<p>“With pastures drying up and minimal sources of feed for livestock, it is important to give producers the resources they need to <a href="https://www.agcanada.com/daily/canadian-cattle-herd-reaches-lowest-level-since-1989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintain their herds</a>. These measures will help to improve cash flow for Manitoba’s livestock producers and provide additional options to access feed.”</p>
<p>MASC will also offer lending clients the opportunity to defer loan payments and provide guidance on financing feed purchases if needed.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/governments-offer-aid-to-drought-affected-manitoba-livestock-producers/">Governments offer aid to drought-affected Manitoba livestock producers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Six agriculture leaders named Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/six-agriculture-leaders-named-canadian-agricultural-hall-of-fame/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 22:47:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faces of ag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food industry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/six-agriculture-leaders-named-canadian-agricultural-hall-of-fame/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> The six 2025 Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees range from long-serving farm policy makers to researchers, agriculture advocates and food business leaders. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/six-agriculture-leaders-named-canadian-agricultural-hall-of-fame/">Six agriculture leaders named Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Six prominent figures from across Canada’s agricultural sector are set to join the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame this fall.</p>
<p>The 2025 inductees include John Anderson, Dori Gingera-Beauchemin, Gaétan Desroches, Joe Hudson, Dennis Laycraft and Peter Sikkema, according to a June 16 press release.</p>
<p>“As our industry continues to innovate and advance, it’s important to reflect and recognize the lifetime contributions these individuals have made to strengthening the world-class agri-food industry we enjoy in Canada,” said hall of fame chair Phil Boyd.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><strong>Why it matters: Every year, the <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitobans-named-to-canadian-agricultural-hall-of-fame/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame</a> recognizes people who have helped Canada’s agriculture sector grow and improve.</strong></p>
<p>This year’s inductees can claim groundbreaking work across primary production, food and value-added retail, involvement in commodity organizations, policy making, research and extension and co-operatives, Boyd said.</p>
<p>John Anderson, a west Vancouver resident nominated by former B.C. judge and provincial cabinet member Wally Oppal, spent five decades building his company, Oppy, into a global fresh produce retail business. Starting in the company’s warehouse, he eventually became chief executive officer and transformed the organization through sustainable agriculture practices and community-focused initiatives, the release said.</p>
<p>Dori Gingera-Beauchemin, who lives in Ile Des Chenes, Man., is best known in Manitoba as the province’s <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/farm-it-manitoba/retiring-deputy-minister-of-ag-a-hard-act-to-follow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-serving deputy agriculture minister</a> before retiring in 2023. She has continued her agricultural advocacy in retirement, the June 16 release noted. She was nominated by consulting firm Emerging Ag Inc. for her work in sustainable development and policy creation that supported Canadian farm communities.</p>
<p>Quebec’s Gaétan Desroches led Sollio Cooperative Group, Canada’s largest agricultural co-operative, for more than four decades. The Morin-Heights resident, nominated by Sollio Cooperative Group, guided the organization through mergers and helped modernize their operational model.</p>
<p>Joe Hudson, who lived in Brockville, Ont., founded and led <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-food-processing-projects-to-get-up-to-15-4-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Burnbrae </a><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-food-processing-projects-to-get-up-to-15-4-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farms</a>, now Canada’s largest family-owned integrated egg producer, for nearly 60 years. Egg Farmers of Canada nominated Hudson</p>
<p>Dennis Laycraft, a Calgary resident nominated by the Canadian Cattle Association, has spent 40 years championing <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/livestock/beef-on-dairy-lifts-beef-sector/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canada’s beef industry</a>. His leadership has focused on market development, trade competitiveness and building export capacity for Canadian beef, the release said.</p>
<p>Peter Sikkema from Ridgetown, Ont., spent his career as a weed scientist at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. Nominated by Grain Farmers of Ontario, he gained international recognition for his research on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/farmers-dont-get-trapped-by-herbicide-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">herbicide-resistant weeds</a> and practical weed management programs.</p>
<p>The induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Nov. 8, in Victoria, B.C.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/six-agriculture-leaders-named-canadian-agricultural-hall-of-fame/">Six agriculture leaders named Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Maple Leaf Foods spin off approved</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/maple-leaf-foods-spin-off-approved/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:43:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maple Leaf Foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pork]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/maple-leaf-foods-spin-off-approved/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> Maple Leaf Foods shareholders approved with an overwhelming majority the food processing company's plan to spin off its pork operations to Canada Packers Inc. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/maple-leaf-foods-spin-off-approved/">Maple Leaf Foods spin off approved</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Glacier FarmMedia</em>—Efforts by Maple Leaf Foods to spin off its pork operations into a separate entity received the green light from the company’s shareholders.</p>
<p>On June 12, the Canadian food processing giant announced the creation of Canada Packers Inc. had been overwhelmingly approved at its annual meeting.</p>
<p>The Toronto Stock Exchange-listed company said shareholders also re-elected all board directors.</p>
<p>The spin-off vote required approval from two-thirds of all shareholders and a simple majority of public shareholders. It passed with 99.94 per cent support from all shareholders and 99.88 per cent from public shareholders, excluding McCain family holdings, a company release said.</p>
<h3><strong>&#8216;Ready to unlock its potential&#8217;</strong></h3>
<p>Curtis Frank, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods, said the shareholders’ endorsement of the move marks an important milestone in what he describes a one of the most transformational transactions in the company’s history.</p>
<p>“By creating two companies, each with its own robust business model, focused strategy, distinct investment profile, and compelling growth potential, Maple Leaf Foods is ready to unlock its potential as a purpose-driven, protein-focused, branded consumer packaged goods company,” Frank said in the release.</p>
<p>Incoming president and CEO of Canada Packers, Dennis Organ, agreed that the approval marks a historic milestone.</p>
<p>“With the confidence of the shareholders, we are excited to take our next steps as a global leader in sustainably produced, premium quality, value-added pork with diversified sales mix and global reach,” he said said.</p>
<p>The transaction will benefit all stakeholders, said executive chair Michael McCain.</p>
<p>“Shareholders will be able to participate in not one, but two strong, independent, sustainable and purpose-driven businesses, each with a clear mandate and investment profile,” he said.</p>
<h3><strong>Deal announced last year</strong></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.agcanada.com/daily/maple-leaf-foods-plans-to-split-into-two-independent-public-companies?_gl=1*pgy9yk*_ga*NjAxNDYwNjY4LjE3Mzc0Nzg1Nzc.*_ga_ZHEKTK6KD0*czE3NDk3NTc2MTkkbzIwOSRnMCR0MTc0OTc1NzYxOSRqNjAkbDAkaDA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maple Leaf announced</a> last July, that it would split off its pork division into an independent company, including plans to retain a 19.9 per cent ownership of the pork business.</p>
<p>The spin-off will separate Maple Leaf Foods’ plant-based and prepared foods operations from its pork business, creating two independent publicly-traded companies. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending an advance tax ruling and other customary conditions.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/maple-leaf-foods-spin-off-approved/">Maple Leaf Foods spin off approved</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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		<title>Pork sector worries tariffs will hit labour pool</title>

		<link>
		https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/pork-sector-worries-tariffs-will-hit-labour-pool/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:04:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Hogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[labour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tariffs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade disputes]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span> Manitoba Pork and the Canadian pork council are lobbying the Canadian and Manitoba government for strategies to protect the sector from U.S. tariffs. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/pork-sector-worries-tariffs-will-hit-labour-pool/">Pork sector worries tariffs will hit labour pool</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Glacier FarmMedia</em>—The Canadian pork sector is worried its limited labour pool may evaporate if tariffs slow down the sector in the coming months.</p>
<p>Hog producers and processors have long complained of <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/pork-groups-worry-on-labour-hit-of-tightened-immigration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labour shortages</a> and have resorted to using temporary foreign workers and other stop-gap measures.</p>
<p>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, they’re still there?”</p>
<p>Tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian and Mexican products, (except Canadian energy which is subject to a 10 per cent tariff) <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/tariffs-day-1-trade-war-commences-as-canadian-agricultural-sector-braces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took effect on March 4</a> at 12:01 EST. Dahl said the central question is how to protect producers and others related to the 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.</p>
<p>““I don’t know the answer to that yet,” Dahl said, though he encouraged pork producers with other questions to contact Manitoba Pork.</p>
<p>On the labour side, Manitoba Pork is discussing the potential of using employment insurance as a tool to protect workers in the pork sector, said Joey Dearborn, the group’s communications co-ordinator.</p>
<p>Premier Wab Kinew announced on March 4 that businesses impacted by the tariffs will have the option to postpone payments on both the provincial sales tax and the payroll tax. This deferral will apply for a minimum of three months, beginning with the tax period for February.</p>
<p>“This is positive,” Dearborn wrote in an email to the <em>Manitoba Co-operator</em>, adding that Manitoba Pork is looking into additional measures like those that were rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Longer-term challenges from the tariffs include finding alternative markets for Canadian pork and adjusting production levels to consider lower demand form the US.</p>
<p>“We are in discussion with all parts of the value chain on how to best respond,” Dearborn said, adding that increased investment could help diversify markets, such as an investment into the cost of compliance with European Union regulations.</p>
<p>Manitoba Pork will also lobby for improvements to business risk management programs like AgriStability and is advocating for farmers to have adequate access to capital through pre-existing avenues like Farm Credit Canada and the Advance Payments Program, and increasing interest-free limits as needed, Dearborn said.</p>
<p>On a federal scale, the Canadian Pork Council is also taking an active role in discussions with the federal government tot assess impacts from the US tariffs on the pork industry nationwide, said René Roy, council chair.</p>
<p>“For the past several weeks, we have been working to ensure that any necessary support measures are in place to help producers navigate these challenges,” Roy said in an emailed statement to the Co-operator.</p>
<p>The council’s main priority now is to safeguard the competitiveness of Canadian pork producers and maintain stability across the sector.</p>
<p>“We continue to advocate for solutions that will mitigate financial train and protect market access for our producers,” Roy said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca/daily/pork-sector-worries-tariffs-will-hit-labour-pool/">Pork sector worries tariffs will hit labour pool</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.country-guide.ca">Country Guide</a>.</p>
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