food Archives | Country Guide

Food retail order boom may ease after big quarter, Conagra says

By Reuters October 1, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Conagra Brands put better-than-expected first quarter sales on Thursday down to heavy ordering by retailers worried about the durability of supply chains in the months ahead as a second wave of coronavirus cases takes hold. Shares in the foodstuffs maker dipped as much as three per cent before recovering after chief financial officer […] Read more

General, Markets

Feds pondering more self-reliance in Canada’s food

'Even if we are already in a good position, we can always do better,' Bibeau says

By D.C. Fraser September 28, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is looking for ways to make Canada’s food supply more autonomous. In an interview Thursday, Bibeau pointed to her minority Liberal government’s pledge in the throne speech to further support the food value chain. That could mean a review of food infrastructure across the country, according to Bibeau. Specifics aren’t yet […] Read more

Abelman’s Salt Spring farm is hardly a grain and oilseed powerhouse. But consumers line up to buy from him.

Guide Business, Marketing

Food in its place

Canada’s top urban-agriculture advocate admits that mostly it isn’t farming. So why does he keep pushing?

By Steven Biggs September 24, 2020

Reading Time: 6 minutes “I took it as a compliment,” says Michael Ableman as he recalls being called a “food terrorist” by cooking celebrity Julia Childs. It was a charge she made after he spoke to a group of culinary professionals with a bag of groceries at his side. One by one, he took out the groceries and told […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock

Olymel’s Red Deer plant holds at one COVID case

Pork plant employee's contacts returning to work

By Dave Bedard August 21, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes A production line employee at Olymel’s hog slaughter plant at Red Deer, Alta. remains the facility’s lone COVID-19 case after her contacts at the plant tested negative for the virus, the company says. Olymel, the meat packing arm of Quebec ag co-operative Sollio, confirmed the lone COVID-19 case at its Red Deer site on Aug. […] Read more

Fruit/Vegetables, Livestock, Markets

Feds line up projects for surplus food program

NGOs backed to gather, distribute 12 million kg of food

By Dave Bedard August 14, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes The federal government has lined up eight projects to source and distribute perishable produce, meat, eggs and seafood piling up across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the federal pandemic response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in early May that Ottawa would budget $50 million for a food surplus purchase program. The […] Read more

Crops, Reuters

Mexico to phase out use of glyphosate

Farmers to have until 2024 to phase out herbicide

By Reuters August 13, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico will gradually phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate by the time the current administration ends in late 2024, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday, following a ministerial spat over the product. Acknowledging differences between his agriculture and environment ministries over the herbicide, which is used in […] Read more

Crops, Reuters

Louis Dreyfus adds venture capital unit

New unit's potential budget not yet discussed publicly

By Reuters June 18, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute Paris | Reuters — Agricultural commodities trader Louis Dreyfus Co. has launched a venture capital program to invest in food and farming firms while also announcing a change of head for its innovation business. “Over the coming months, we will invest in early-stage companies with the potential to transform the food and agriculture industries,” CEO […] Read more

General, Markets

Details on federal food surplus program expected in ‘days’

Ottawa already at work with businesses, minister says

By D.C. Fraser June 13, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa — Detailed plans of the federal government’s food buyback program are expected soon, according to Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Ottawa tabbed $50 million of its COVID-19 response funds for agriculture to buy surplus food from farmers and redistribute it to communities in need. The challenge Bibeau and her federal colleagues are faced with is […] Read more

General

Two national campaigns launched for food supply chains

It's good, one campaign says, but could the sector have done better, another asks

By D.C. Fraser June 1, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa — The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity is launching a new campaign to inform consumers on how the food system works. “It’s Good, Canada” will share personal stories of Canadians working across the food supply chain and provide information about farming, transportation, processing, retail and production on its website. “It’s natural for Canadians to […] Read more

Crops

Federal ag supports ‘too little, too late’ for mushroom growers

Timing of programs for TFWs, surplus food purchases leaves aid out of reach: CMGA

By D.C. Fraser June 1, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa — Members of Parliament sitting on the committee dealing with agricultural issues continue to hear concerns over the federal government’s response to COVID-19. During the Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food’s online meeting Wednesday, representatives of the Canadian Mushrooms Growers’ Association raised “grave concerns” over the support CMGA members have received. CEO Ryan […] Read more

B.C. ag minister, critic expected to win re-election

Canada’s wheat ending stocks projections raised

Fund traders grow long positions in canola, U.S. futures

GFM Network News