Ag ministers support supply management Thursday, May 12, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFAgricultural ministers from Ontario and Quebec have committed to working with the dairy industry on areas of common interest, and confirmed the ongoing importance of supporting Canada's supply management systems in international trade agreements. Carol Mitchell, minister of Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Pierre Corbeil, minister of Quebec Agriculture, Fisheries and Food met Thursday in Toronto.The ministers also agreed that Ontario and Quebec will press for federal government recognition regarding provincial flexibility in the development of national agricultural policy. As part of the Quebec-Ontario Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the two agriculture ministers meet annually to consider initiatives that help promote the competitive position of their respective agri-food sectors. These bilateral meetings coincide with SIAL, which alternates locations between Montreal and Toronto. SIAL Canada is an international trade show dedicated to food industry professionals which targets the North American market. This year it is taking place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto from May 11-13.Underlining the importance of the Ontario-Quebec relationship is the combined farm gate value of Ontario and Quebec production of about $17.2 billion annually. The two provinces' combined food processing sectors represents just over 64 per cent of the total Canadian output.Quebec and Ontario together represent more than 65 per cent of supply-managed production - dairy, poultry and eggs - in Canada. BF Widowski gets chair in poultry welfare Modify food label requirements say ag groups
A new front in the repair access debate Friday, March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have pushed the right‑to‑repair conversation into new territory with House File 2529, a bill that focuses specifically on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems—the single most common cause of emissions-related downtime on modern farm machinery. The bill would require... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to Visit Toronto and Southwestern Ontario Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry will be in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario later this week as part of its ongoing study on the role of Canada’s agriculture and agri‑food sector in strengthening national food security. The fact‑finding mission is scheduled for... Read this article online
AgriStability Program Updated to Include Pasture-Related Feed Costs Beginning in 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026 In case you missed it last week, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that pasture-related feed costs will be added as an allowable expense under AgriStability starting with the 2026 program year. The update addresses rising operational... Read this article online
Bringing more Food and Ingredient Processing Back to Canadian Soil Monday, March 2, 2026 Protein Industries Canada has announced the second cohort of nine companies participating in its Program, an initiative designed to bring more food and ingredient processing back to Canadian soil and expand the nation’s value‑added agriculture sector. The selected companies span the... Read this article online