(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Final version of Trans-Pacific trade deal released

Reading Time: 3 minutes Wellington/Sydney | Reuters — The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signalling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the U.S. More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final […] Read more




Former 4-H Canada president Rob Black will be stepping down from his role as CEO of the Rural Ontario Institute to take his place in the Senate. (Photo courtesy ROI)

Rural Ontario leader appointed to Senate

Reading Time: 2 minutes A leader in Ontario’s agriculture and rural community is one of Canada’s newest senators. Rob Black, executive director of the Rural Ontario Institute and a former president of 4-H Canada, was named Thursday as one of two new senators from Ontario by Governor General Julie Payette. Why is this significant? It has been a long […] Read more


University of Guelph president Dr. Franco Vaccarino (right) and Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal sign a new research partnership agreement, with Guelph-area MPP Liz Sandals. (John Greig photo)

Ontario, U of Guelph renew ag research partnership

Reading Time: 2 minutes Up to $713 million in agriculture research will be funded at the University of Guelph over the next 10 years through a renewal of the university’s agreement with the provincial ag ministry. The new agreement has been updated to manage digital data and is aimed to provide a base from which to leverage more research […] Read more

(OntLA.on.ca)

Ontario, Canada sign $1.5 billion CAP agreement

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian and Ontario governments have signed an agreement that will see $1.5 billion of Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) money available to be spent in the province. Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal said the five-year program will start April 3, which, he added, will mean a seamless transition between the current federal-provincial agriculture and food […] Read more


(AgricultureMoreThanEver.ca)

Farmers encouraged to make Agriculture Day meme-able

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s farmers are being urged to make closer connections with the country’s non-farming consumers, in both the real world and cyberspace, as Canada’s Agriculture Day nears. Spearheaded by the year-round industry-backed initiative Agriculture More Than Ever, Canada’s Agriculture Day is set this year for Tuesday (Feb. 13). “It’s a time to showcase all of the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Market shifts, weather push back Food Freedom Day

Reading Time: < 1 minute Food Freedom Day, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s bellwether of affordability for food in Canada, is a day later in 2018. The CFA on Wednesday announced that by its calculations, a Canadian household of average income has earned enough to pay an entire year’s grocery bill on Friday, Feb. 9. Canadians spent 11 per cent […] Read more


Health Canada said its proposed front-of-pack symbols aren’t yet in the proposed regulations as published, but will be included in the final regulation. (Dave Bedard photo)

Dairy sector wary of proposed food label policy

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian consumers are being asked to weigh in on proposed new front-of-pack warnings for foods high in saturated fats, sugars and sodium, starting this weekend. And while whole milk would get a pass from such a plan, Canada’s dairy farmer organization fears many other dairy products would wind up wearing such warnings, thus “alarming” consumers. […] Read more

Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Jan. 31. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina seen likely to fade by spring

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The current La Nina weather cycle is likely to transition into more neutral conditions by spring, a U.S. government weather forecaster said Thursday. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and is linked with floods and droughts. It is the opposite phase of what is known […] Read more