Reading Time: < 1 minute Beijing | Reuters –– The response by China’s commerce ministry to the latest U.S trade measures is too weak, and should target U.S. soybeans, former Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei said on Saturday. The commerce ministry on Friday unveiled a plan to levy additional duties on up to US$3 billion of U.S. imports including fruit […] Read more
China should target U.S. soybeans, former finance minister says
Conagra to shed Canadian processed vegetable, fruit business
Reading Time: 2 minutes The company behind Arctic Gardens, Graves and Bonduelle canned and frozen vegetables in Canada is set to add the Del Monte brand to its roster. Conagra Brands, which makes and sells Del Monte processed fruits and vegetables in the Canadian market, announced Tuesday it will sell that business to France’s Bonduelle Group for $43 million. […] Read more
A different school
For Vance Lester and Sue Echlin, getting a non-agricultural education proved a big help when they returned to the farm
Reading Time: 6 minutes Graduate degrees in ecology and international relations don’t seem the kind of education that would be likely to help on a Canadian farm. But that’s where we might be wrong. For Sue Echlin and Vance Lester, that kind of schooling has been instrumental in their launching a fruit-growing and winery business, and in keeping it […] Read more
VIDEO: Late planting suggests more soybeans for Ont. farmers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Wet late May weather is hindering completion of Ontario planting, likely meaning more farmers will make the switch to soybeans from corn. To read a related article on Country Guide, click here.
Stepping up the cider game
It’s a great time to lead in the cider business, and this farm group aims to take their Broken Ladder brand international
Reading Time: 9 minutes Back when my grandparents’ generation of Okanagan farmers first formed a fruit growing co-operative to market their fruit, farmers made a good living growing and selling crops on a commodity basis. Sure, some of that fruit ended up in cans, in fruit leather or in other value-added applications, but that all happened after the fruit […] Read more
Revisions in the works for Canada’s Food Guide
Reading Time: 3 minutes Health Canada is planning changes to one of its key policy documents to reflect how Canadians’ diets are generally coming up short in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and milk alternatives. At the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Montreal on Monday, the federal health department launched a 45-day public consultation on changes to Canada’s Food Guide, […] Read more
Farmers return to vegetable patch as currency slumps
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canadian farmers are cashing in on the highest vegetable prices in years, helped by the country’s weak currency and soaring costs of U.S. imports that have made them unexpected winners in a bearish commodity world. Soft wheat and canola prices may diminish Canadian farm incomes by nine per cent this year. But it […] Read more
Australia to hike tax on ‘backpacker’ workers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sydney | Reuters — Australia is set to increase taxes on foreign travellers who work in the country, raising concerns from farmers that their supply of “backpacker labour” at harvest times may dry up and undermine Australia’s ambitions of being Asia’s delicatessen. Australian fruit exports are set to hit a record A$2.27 billion (C$2.19 billion) […] Read more
USDA report says no risk from pesticide residues
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — More than half of food tested by the U.S. government for pesticide residues last year showed detectable levels of pesticides, though most were within levels the government considers to be safe, according to a report issued Dec. 19 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA looked at fresh and processed fruits and […] Read more
Ukraine appeals to WTO over Russian ban on fruit, vegetable imports
Reading Time: < 1 minute Kiev | Reuters –– Ukraine has complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about a decision by Russia to ban imports of fruit and vegetables from the country, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. The ban, which came into force Wednesday, was the latest trade barrier erected by Russia in a trade and sanctions war linked […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
