Pilot to examine seed crop inspection delivery Tuesday, July 5, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFA Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) pilot project designed to examine opportunities for more streamlined, flexible seed crop inspection delivery gets underway this fall with the evaluation of two inspection models. The first model is second-party inspection where Pioneer Hi-Bred employees inspect fields producing certified soybean crops with crop certificates assigned to Pioneer Hi-Bred. The second model is third-party inspection involving 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. where independent, third-party seed crop inspectors inspect about 60 fields producing certified soybean crops that are not assigned to Pioneer Hi-Bred.Growers selected to be part of the project will receive a notice from the CFIA and from either Pioneer Hi-Bred Ltd. or 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. before the inspection takes place. Only some fields in the Chatham and London areas producing certified soybean seed crops will be included in the pilot project. The locations and number of fields will be finalized by early August.The CFIA retains overall responsibility for seed certification, including monitoring and auditing all seed crop inspection activities. The CFIA will also inspect certified soybean crops not included in the pilot project and all fields planted with Breeder, Select and Foundation status seed. There are no additional costs to growers included in the research project.Project development has been guided by a working group with members from the CFIA, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, the Canadian Seed Institute and the Canadian Seed Trade Association. BF Canadian organic growers obtain direct access to European market Warning out for cereal leaf beetle
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