Reading Time: 2 minutes Manila | Reuters – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday outlined ambitious plans for his six-year term in office that focus on fiscal management, infrastructure upgrades and turning the long-neglected farm sector into an engine of growth. The Philippines is beset with numerous challenges, from soaring prices, food shortages, poverty and inequities in education, but Marcos, the […] Read more

Philippines’ Marcos lays out ambitious policy agenda with farm sector in focus

Shipping container issues make Canada uncompetitive
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm – Even though harvest in Canada is months away, major issues with shipping by container out of the country needs to be resolved, according to Greg Northey, vice-president of corporate affairs for Pulse Canada and the spokesperson for the Coalition to Fix the Container Crunch. “The worry in the fall is if we have […] Read more

Watching a new world order unfold
How much damage is 2022 doing to global supply chains for equipment manufacturers?
Reading Time: 6 minutes I remember watching the start of the 1970s BBC series The World at War. The screen showed the wreckage of a French village. Over it, Lawrence Olivier entoned, “Down this road in 1944, the soldiers came. When they left, a community which had lived for a thousand years was dead.” If such a documentary was […] Read more

Alberta ag minister resigns among allegations of heavy drinking
Reading Time: 2 minutes Admitting he has a problem with alcohol, Devin Dreeshen resigned as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and forestry this morning. He has been replaced by Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner. “This morning, I offered Premier Jason Kenney my resignation as minister of agriculture and forestry and he has accepted,” Dreeshen said on Twitter on Nov. 5. “I […] Read more

Coronavirus infections at U.S. meat plants far higher than previous estimates, House subcommittee hears
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters. The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef , and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80 percent […] Read more

Bibeau keeps role as federal ag-minister, Canada gets a new environment minister
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada’s 44th Parliament was sworn in today in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled a number of his ministers from their previous roles, and today’s cabinet shuffle is a result of the federal election held on Sept. 20. Marie Claude-Bibeau maintains her role as federal Minister of Agriculture, a […] Read more

Italy vetoes sale of seed producer to Chinese-owned Syngenta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rome | Reuters – Italy has prevented Chinese-owned group Syngenta from buying vegetable seed producer Verisem, government officials said, underscoring Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s commitment to shield key assets from unwanted foreign bids. The decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Oct. 19 but not yet made public, marks the first time Italy has vetoed […] Read more

Biden transition team holds talks with biofuel groups -sources
Reading Time: < 1 minute New York | Reuters – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has held calls with biofuel groups on topics including compliance with U.S. biofuel blending laws and Biden’s low-carbon climate vision, according to two sources familiar with the conversations. The discussions with biofuel trade groups as well as POET, a top company in the cellulosic […] Read more

Feds put up $58.6 M for temporary foreign worker supports
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The federal government is announcing $58.6 million in new money to further support temporary foreign workers in Canada’s agricultural sector, it was announced July 31. Spending is expected to focus on health and safety of temporary foreign workers in Canada. Farmers will be eligible to access $35 million, administrated through Agriculture and […] Read more

Opinion: Ending carbon tax not an electable position for leadership candidates
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canadians can be forgiven for offering little more than passing shrugs at the ongoing Conservative Party of Canada leadership race. The ongoing pandemic, the governing Liberals’ handling of it, and the WE Charity scandal side dish are consuming our attention. At least for me, the political and cultural fractures in the United […] Read more