Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Athens will not back a multi-billion dollar trade pact between Canada and the European Union unless the deal is changed to specify that only Greece can use the term “feta” for its salty white cheese, according to a document seen by Reuters. After five years of difficult negotiations, Canada and the […] Read more
Greece wants Canada-EU pact changed to protect ‘feta’ name
Eyes on election, Tories balance budget with asset sales
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Conservative government, seeking re-election this year, delivered a federal budget Tuesday that promised a slim surplus despite the oil price crash, while offering goodies to seniors and small businesses and boosting security spending. It will mark Canada’s first surplus in eight years, accomplished with the help of the sale of […] Read more
Who’s buying up Canadian farmland?
Are non-farmers snapping up too much Canadian farmland? Nobody knows, especially in Ottawa
Reading Time: 5 minutes Again this winter, ownership of farmland is a heated topic in coffee shops across rural Canada. Rumours abound. Sometimes, it’s foreign buyers who are said to be gobbling up huge chunks of prime farmland, paying prices that Canadian farmers can’t afford. Other times, it’s pension funds or rich non-farm investors. Whoever tells the stories, the […] Read more
Making sense of ag markets
Agriculture can’t escape global economic trends, but farmers can adapt their market plans to key numbers. In this second of five columns, market analyst Errol Anderson tells us how
Reading Time: 7 minutes Grain prices rise, and grain prices fall. Sometimes it’s a straight supply issue. more grain gets produced, or less gets produced, and prices react accordingly. but those movements tend to happen over the short term. Often too, they’re tough to plan for because they’re sparked by either good weather or bad. Other issues hit on […] Read more
COOL as is can’t be patched to satisfy WTO, Vilsack says
Reading Time: 2 minutes U.S. federal officials don’t see a way their mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) legislation can do what it was designed to do and satisfy global trade rules at the same time. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, speaking Monday on a U.S. Department of Agriculture podcast, said officials “do not think that there is a regulatory fix” for […] Read more
Meeting farmers’ needs with the right tool at the right time
German implement manufacturer Lemken bases its Canadian growth strategy on providing equipment tailored to local needs
Reading Time: 5 minutes This time the conversation was the opposite of what I’m used to. In the last few years it’s become common enough to hear North American machinery executives talk about how they’re going to get their share of the huge new markets in the emerging economies. But in May, I was at implement manufacturer Lemken’s factory […] Read more
Our share keeps falling
Farmers’ portion of the consumer food dollar is plummeting. At the very least, it’s something consumers should know
Reading Time: 5 minutes The disconnect between farm commodity and retail food prices is worsening. Throughout 2013, major media warned consumers of rising food costs, with BNN on May 16 reporting, “How much Canadians pay for their food is becoming a major concern.” That same day, CBC added its voice, saying, “Canadian families are planning to cut back on […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
