Reading Time: 2 minutes Havana | Reuters — U.S. agribusinesses, on a trade tour in Cuba, said on Tuesday they were “losing” in their bid to boost commerce with Cuban farmers and called on the Biden administration to ease restrictions and allow them to invest in private agriculture on the island. U.S. President Joe Biden last May loosened restrictions […] Read more
U.S. ag businesses want Biden to allow more investment in Cuba
Canadian investment 'significant' in Cuban business
Pulse weekly outlook: World chickpea supplies expected tight over next six months
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Chickpeas are expected to be in short supply around the world over the next six months, according to a release from the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC). Hot and dry weather in India cut production prospects for that country’s kabuli chickpea crop, according to the report. Production out of Mexico also failed to meet […] Read more
International farmers may ease Canadian human capital crunch
A global retirement crunch is coming and Canada is ill prepared, report says
Reading Time: 3 minutes As other nations reduce their agricultural footprints in an effort to boost sustainability, their loss could be Canada’s human capital gain, a new report suggests. “The immigration of scientists, data engineers, and entrepreneurs has been recognized as critical to Canada’s growth. A similar approach needs to be adopted to attract farmers,” the authors wrote. The […] Read more
Beef sector rips ‘unjust’ result as talks wrap on U.K. entry to CPTPP
Dairy sector calls for 'vigilant' enforcement on British imports
Reading Time: 4 minutes Negotiations have concluded for the United Kingdom to join Canada and its 10 partner nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact, with Canada’s beef cattle sector already calling the results “fundamentally unjust.” Federal Trade Minster Mary Ng on Thursday announced the conclusion of negotiations, making the U.K. the first accession applicant to reach that […] Read more
Japan lifts last of BSE-era restrictions off Canadian beef
Canadian processed beef regains access to Japan
Reading Time: 2 minutes The last of Japan’s import restrictions on Canadian beef and beef products stemming from the BSE crisis has been lifted, allowing access for Canadian further-processed beef. Canada’s federal agriculture department announced Monday that Japan has reopened to imports of “processed” Canadian beef — just days ahead of a significant reduction in Japan’s tariffs on imports […] Read more
Little change in barley acres expected
Malt barley prices mainly steady
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As spring planting approaches, Peter Watt of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) said there likely won’t be a big shift in barley acres that will be planted in 2023. “Producers have made their [planting] decisions for the most part. You might see people adjust their plans a little bit based on […] Read more
Federal report shows farmer concerns remain regarding emissions targets
AAFC report polled farmers, industry for thoughts on fertilizer emissions policy
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) report shows farmers remain concerned about federal emissions reduction targets — and whether those targets remain voluntary. The “What We Heard” Report, released Wednesday, is the result of consultations between AAFC and the agricultural sector to gather feedback on how best to support farmers and producers to achieve […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Steady world trade expected in 2023
IGC sees firmer demand for dry peas in particular
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — World trade in chickpeas and lentils is expected to remain relatively steady in 2023, with solid demand from South Asia underpinning markets, according to the latest outlook from the International Grains Council. The IGC sees the world trade in chickpeas in 2023 at about 1.9 million tonnes, which would be unchanged from 2022, […] Read more
Potato wart survey gives clean bill of health
Fields across Canada with a history of getting seed potatoes from P.E.I. tested negative
Reading Time: 2 minutes A national survey on the watch for potato wart has come back clean. On March 13, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said results from their 2022 potato wart survey had not found any cases of the soil-borne fungus. The agency had tested nearly 1,500 soil samples from fields in British Columbia, the three Prairie […] Read more
Canary seed set for more acres
Crop seen as competitive against wheat for area in West
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While the price of canary seed in Western Canada has come down over the past couple of years, there is optimism that acres devoted to the specialty grain will increase in 2023. David Nobbs, pulse merchant for Purely Canada Foods in Saskatoon and former chair of the Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
