Heeva recalls pistachios

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency detected salmonella food-poisoning bacteria prompting Heeva Fine Foods, of Richmond Hill to recall pistachios it has sold

Supply chain crucial for grain exports

 

One week of disruptions to Canada’s grains exporting supply chain loses up to $540 million in sales and most of them can’t be recovered according to a study commissioned by the Agriculture Export Coalition.

 

The analysis examined the economic impact of labour disruptions across rail and port operations during peak grain export periods and found that losses compound rapidly and fall disproportionately on farmers and exporters.

 

The coalition released the findings today as part of Too Much on the Line, a national campaign calling on the federal government to reform Canada's labour relations framework and reduce the risk of future supply chain shutdowns.

 

The coalition is encouraging Canadians to visit KeepGrainMoving.ca and send a letter to their Member of Parliament, adding that participation in the federal consultation process is critical to ensuring government decisions reflect the economic realities of Canada’s grain supply chain.

 

"Every time grain stops moving, the consequences are immediate and unrecoverable,” said Bruce Burrows, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada. 

Missed sales, broken contracts, and a reputation as a reliable supplier take years to rebuild, he said.

“Canada cannot keep accepting this as the cost of doing business. There is simply too much on the line.”

Canada exports more than 70 per cent of its grain production and 94 per cent moves by rail. The analysis found that even the threat of disruption triggers losses, with up to $112 million in missed sales occurring before a work stoppage begins.

The federal government is conducting consultations on transport-industry labour relations and the export coalition wants to ensure good-faith bargaining by appointing a special mediator to oversee collective bargaining, manage timelines, and ensure progress.

It also wants resolutions to disputes before they escalate by providing the federal transport minister with authority to consider economic harm and refer disputes to binding arbitration when necessary.

 

“Canada’s customers expect reliability, and repeated disruptions put that at risk,” said Greg Northey, vice president of corporate affairs with Pulse Canada. “With so much on the line, this is a critical moment to ensure the right policy framework is in place.”

 

U.S rattles sabres vs. Canada’s dairy policies

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently threatened Canada’s dairy industry telling U.S. politicians that issues with Canada’s dairy sector will be resolved through negotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement or through enforcement actions.

The U.S. has complained about the way Canada administers permits that allow limited imports of Canadian dairy products. The U.S. won a challenge and forced some concessions, but is still not satisfied. More recently it has complained about Canadian exports of milk components.

Greer told the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee that during CUSMA negotiations, both Canada and Mexico will need to take steps to protect their respective economies from subsidized products from other regions, including vehicles from China.

Canada recently made a deal with China to allow 49.000 electrical vehicles per year into the Canadian market.

The U.S. put a 100 per cent tariff on China’s electrical vehicles in 2026 and Canada followed suit so it would not become a back door into the U.S. market.

Agropur shuffles the deck

 

Agropur is investing in its plant in Bedford, Nova Scotia, but pulling back on its plant at Sussex, New Brunswick.

There were no dollar amounts attached to the announcement.

The company said the changes come within a broader strategy to optimize efficiency and align processing capacity with evolving market demand.

Agropur, based in Quebec, is Canada’s largest dairy co-operative.

                           

MacKenna Roth appointed

MacKenna Roth has been appointed to a three-year term on the board that governs the Ontario Food Terminal.

She is a farm girl from Mddlesex County who owns Wild Belle Co., a small-scale cut flower operation. 

She has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and strategic planning within Ontario’s agri-food sector and she is a participant in the current Advanced Agricultural Leadership program.

Lactalis has new leader

 

Lactalis Canada has appointed Ola Machnowski to a new leadership role, reinforcing its strategic focus on strengthening operations and driving growth in the competitive dairy market. 

She will be vice president, marketing, cheese & tablespreads.

The move reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance its management structure and align with evolving industry demands, the company said.

CFIA lifts quarantine at Amherstburg

The Canadian Food Inspection has lifted its poultry-industry quarantine near Amhersburg.

It was imposed Feb. 22 after an outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza.