New COOL additions toughen labelling protocols Thursday, February 26, 2009 © AgMedia Inc.by SUSAN MANNThe Canadian government will closely monitor how additional voluntary Country of Origin Labelling requirements being implemented by the United States affect farmers here after they come in next month.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released the voluntary requirements last week as part of the Final Rule for Country of Origin Labelling slated to go into effect March 16.Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says in a written statement the government “will continue to stand up for the Canadian livestock industry and monitor the situation closely to ensure that Canadian producers are treated fairly according to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the WTO (World Trade Organization).”The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has already called on the government to relaunch its WTO trade challenge. Spokesman John Masswohl says the voluntary requirements remove the flexibility American packers are given in the final rule to mix Canadian cattle fed in the U.S. with Canadian cattle fed in Canada and both slaughtered in the U.S.In his letter to stakeholders in the U.S., Vilsack says all meat needs to be identified with the place where it was born, raised and slaughtered.Masswohl says Vilsack has essentially told the U.S. industry that “even though the rule gives the flexibility, ‘I don’t want anybody to use it.’ Vilsack is saying he wants everything segregated.”In addition, the U.S. government plans to audit packers for compliance of the voluntary requirements and if they’re not following them the government will consider making them laws.Masswohl says they have to wait and see if U.S. packers will use the voluntary rules. It may seem like the new requirements are voluntary but the plan to audit them means they’re really not. BF 'Speed networking' connects farmers to local markets Property reassessment leads to tax hike
Wheat Output Decline Projected for 2025 Wednesday, September 10, 2025 Statistics Canada’s latest modelled estimates suggest that wheat production in Canada will decline slightly in 2025, driven primarily by weaker yields across several regions. National output is expected to edge down 1.1% to 35.5 million tonnes, with yields forecast to fall 1.2% to 49.6... Read this article online
Research Projects and Companies Supported Through OAFRI Tuesday, September 9, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario have announced an investment of up to $4.77 million to strengthen the province’s agri-food sector. This funding, delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable... Read this article online
Two-pass Weed Control Critical in Managing Herbicide-Resistant Waterhemp in Ontario Monday, September 8, 2025 Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph recently shared insights into the growing challenge of multiple herbicide-resistant water hemp at the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour final event in Woodstock Ontario. Dr. Sikkema research highlights both the biology of the weed and practical... Read this article online
First Northern Cohort Joins Ontario Vet Program Thursday, September 4, 2025 This September, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph welcomed its inaugural Northern Cohort of 20 students through the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP). This initiative, created in partnership with Lakehead University, marks a milestone... Read this article online
Manitoba Farmers Defend Their Whisky Roots Amid Ontario Backlash Thursday, September 4, 2025 As most reader will know by now, on August 28, beverage alcohol giant Diageo announced it will be closing its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant. Located just 25 kilometres from the nearest U.S. border crossing, the company says the decision is part of a strategy to streamline its supply... Read this article online