Reading Time: 2 minutes Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) travelling to Canada won’t need to quarantine in a government-supervised hotel when they get here – for now — but by mid-March, Ottawa will put more stringent measures in place. Starting Feb. 22, non-essential travellers and essential workers arriving in Canada will be tested for COVID-19 upon their arrival. Non-essential travellers […] Read more
Foreign workers to lose some travel exemptions in March
UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ as India farm protesters widen blockade
Reading Time: 2 minutes Mumbai | Reuters — The United Nations human rights office called on Indian authorities and protesting farmers to exercise “maximum restraint” hours before the growers impose a nationwide road blockade on Saturday seeking a repeal of new agricultural laws. Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi for more […] Read more
Indian farm protesters reinforce after standoff with police
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Delhi | Reuters — Thousands of Indian farmers marched overnight to reinforce protesting colleagues camping out on the outskirts of the capital, New Delhi, to press the government to withdraw three new farm laws that they say will hurt their livelihoods. In a standoff between riot police and the farmers, authorities tried to clear […] Read more
Indian farmers ride caravan of tractors into capitol ahead of Republic Day
Farmers reject government's offer to suspend ag market reforms
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Delhi | Reuters — Caravans of tractors clogged a key highway in northern India on Monday as tens of thousands of farmers protesting against agriculture reforms streamed into the capital ahead of Republic Day, and police said they were prepared to deal with the crowds. India marks its founding as a republic on Tuesday […] Read more
India offers to suspend farm reforms
Farmers may call off protests
Reading Time: < 1 minute New Delhi | Reuters — India’s government on Wednesday offered to suspend implementation of three new farm laws that have triggered the biggest farmers’ protests in years, which farm union leaders said they would now consider calling off. The cornerstone of the reform, introduced in September, allows private buyers to deal directly with farmers. Angry […] Read more
India’s top court orders stay on farm laws that riled growers
Reading Time: < 1 minute New Delhi | Reuters — India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered an indefinite stay on the implementation of new agricultural laws that have triggered widespread protest from farmers, saying it wanted to protect farmers and would hear their objections. For more than a month, tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of […] Read more
Argentine farmers end sales strike as corn export cap pulled
Reading Time: < 1 minute Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentine farmers called off a three-day-old sales strike on Wednesday, hours before it had been scheduled to end, after the government agreed to free corn export from a recently decreed limit of 30,000 tonnes a day. The export cap that had been imposed at the start of the week was […] Read more
Indian government, farmers fail to break deadlock on ag market laws
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Delhi | Reuters — The Indian government and representatives of protesting farmers failed to reach an agreement on contentious new agriculture laws on Friday and said they will meet again in a week’s time. Tens of thousands of farmers have been camped on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi for over a month, […] Read more
Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension
Move meant to boost domestic food supplies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more
Farmers protest across India against Modi’s farm market reforms
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Delhi/Mumbai | Reuters — Farmers’ protests against new laws liberalizing agricultural markets spread across India on Tuesday, as farm organizations called for a nationwide strike after inconclusive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. In eastern and western states, farmers blocked roads and squatted on railway tracks, delaying hordes of people getting to work, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
