Federal government invites comments on TPP environmental impacts Tuesday, January 15, 2013 by SUSAN MANNPeople with opinions on significant environmental impacts in Canada of the Canada-Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement are invited to submit their comments to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.The closing date for submissions is Jan. 30.Canada and Mexico entered the negotiations last fall. The other countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Together these countries represent a market of almost 658 million people and a combined GDP of $20.7 trillion, according to a background document on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website.Canadian companies exported $340.8 billion worth of goods to Trans-Pacific member countries in 2011. That’s equivalent to more than 76 per cent of Canada’s global total.Canada is seeking to increase these numbers by “building on our existing partnerships and enhancing conditions for trade and investment in the region as a whole,” the document says.The Canadian government announced on Canada Gazette last month that it intends to do a strategic environmental assessment of the free trade agreement. Submissions to identify likely and significant environmental impacts in Canada of the trade agreement should be directed to the trade policy and negotiations division (Trans-Pacific Partnership) of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.The latest of 15 rounds of negotiations took place in Auckland, New Zealand last month. The goal is to conclude the agreement this year. The next negotiating round is scheduled for March 4-13 in Singapore. BF Fruit and vegetable growers recognize seasonal workers' management service Commercial feed costs inflate index
Wet Spring Delays Ontario Field Crop Progress Sunday, May 31, 2026 Persistent rainfall across Ontario through late May temporarily stalled fieldwork, but improving weather conditions are now helping farmers regain momentum, according to the latest Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) Field Crop News report released May... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms Expanding National Footprint in Ontario Sunday, May 31, 2026 British Columbia-based poultry producer Sunrise Farms is building a new $100 million processing plant in Woodstock, Ontario, the development be for a 155,000-square-foot facility. Sunrise Farms is a large Canadian poultry processor based in British Columbia that acquired Sargent Farms... Read this article online
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Friday, May 29, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is Critical to Trade, Food Security and Economic Recovery Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada is facing global instability, affordability pressures and growing urgency to rebuild its economic foundations. Rural Canada is one of the country’s most important economic assets. Although only about 16% to 18% of Canadians live in rural communities, leaders say those regions... Read this article online