Wildlife loss claims rules change

Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman has waived the requirement for a Farm Business Registration number to file an application under the Ontario Wildlife Compensation Program.

Normally the registration number is required for all Ontario agriculture-related subsidies.

Hardeman has also promised to consider the other program improvements requested by Beef Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Sheep Farmers and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

“Today’s announcement is a positive step in the right direction, and an important signal to farm groups that the province is serious about making meaningful program changes that ensure farmers are provided fair and responsive compensation for losses incurred due to conflicts with predators,” shares OSF Chair, Robert Scott.

“OFA would like to thank the government for taking swift action to address the Farm Business Registration requirement that was denying livestock farmers legitimate claims due to a technicality, and we look forward to working with the government to implement all of the changes required to restore producer confidence in the program,” states OFA President, Keith Currie. 

Japanese pork exports halted

Pork exports from Japan have been halted because 80 pigs have died in an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever, better known as hog cholera.

Officials are culling another 610 pigs at the farm where one pig died suddenly, then another 80 died soon after.

It’s the first case of the disease in Japan in 26 years. It is not related to the recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever in China.

Dairy now the big NAFTA issue

Canada must make concessions on dairy to get a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), three senior United States officials said over the weekend.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue demanded an end to Class 7 milk pricing, which marketing boards introduced to stem the flow of imports of diafiltered milk from the U.S.

He said Canada has encouraged overproduction and flooded export markets for milk proteins used in cheese and yogurt, hurting U.S. dairy farmers.

Republican Tom Reed, a member of the influential House ways and means committee, urged Ottawa on Sunday to allow U.S. farmers more access to its market to assuage U.S. President Donald Trump, who has consistently complained about this issue as talks have dragged on.

Larry Kudlow,  Trump's chief economic adviser, said dairy is the major stumbling block. 

“Milk, dairy, drop the barriers, give our farmers a break and we can fix some other things,” Kudlow said.

Negotiations are ongoing with Canada insisting that the disputes-settlement provisions of the existing NAFTA be maintained and that protections for Canadian content in the entertainment industry remain.

The deadline now appears to be the end of the month.

                           

Trump threatens more tariffs on Chinese goods

United States President Donald Trump said he’s ready to put tariffs on an additional $267 billion worth of Chinese goods on short notice, on top of a proposed $200 billion that he is almost ready to tax.

His administration is said to be close to imposing tariffs on the $200 million worth of Chinese goods. Trump said that  “will take place very soon depending on what happens.

 “I hate to do this, but behind that there is another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want,” he said.

If both go ahead, all of China’s exports to the U.S. would face tariffs. Last year the U.S. imported $505 billion worth of goods from China.

Marathon tribunal hearing (almost) over

A marathon public hearing in a dispute between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and MedRelief cannabis company has resulted in dismissal of almost all the union complaints.

However, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal has set Nov. 6 for an additional pre-hearing session relating to one outstanding issue.

The tribunal noted at the beginning of the hearings in February that it’s unusual for it, rather than the Ontario Labour Relations Board, to be considering the case.

The union’s main complaint is that the company treated employees unfairly, including dismissals and hiring replacement workers.

The lengthy report on the hearings and the tribunal’s decision is posted online on at the CanLit III website.

Rail line repairs to begin immediately

The federal government said repairs will begin immediately on the flood-damaged rail line from Northern Manitoba to Churchill on James Bay.

The government said the aim is to have the repairs done in time to move winter supplies to Churchill for residents there and in surrounding communities.

The rail line was purchased by OmniTrax of the United States, but the company failed to deliver on the repairs that were part of the deal.

It was under orders from the Canadian Transportation Agency to do the repairs, which it said would cost $60 million, but didn’t do any because it said it was trying to sell the business.

A deal that was supposed to close July 3, but then negotiations resumed with the consortium that bought it. 

The buyer is the Arctic Gateway Group Limited Partnership and the deal includes the Hudson Bay Rail Co., the Hudson Bay Port Co. and the Churchill Marine Tank Farm.

The Arctic Gateway Group is a private/public partnership including the northern communities’ consortium Missinippi Rail Ltd. Partnership, Toronto investment firm Fairfax Financial Holdings and AGT Limited Partnership, an arm of Regina pulse crop processor AGT.

Prairie grains move on the line to export terminals at Churchill.

China battling African Swine Fever

China has had a sixth outbreak of African Swine Fever and now has adopted tougher transportation measures to halt the spread of the highly-contagious and deadly disease.

For the first time live hogs from unaffected provinces cannot be transported through those that have reported infections, a move expected to cause major disruption to the country’s pig trade.

And live hog markets have been shut down in the five provinces.

Outbreaks began a month ago in northeastern Liaoning province, central Henan, and the eastern provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

The prohibition effectively prevents slaughterhouses and meat processing factories from using pigs or pork from these regions.

In the latest outbreak 134 hogs died from the disease in Xuancheng city of eastern Anhui province, the second in that province, the agriculture ministry said.

Xuancheng city is about 70 kilometres from another outbreak last week in Wuhu City.

Government officials said more than 38,000 hogs have been culled.

Epidemic culling has basically finished in Liaoning, Henan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, where a total of 37,271 hogs were culled, while another 1,264 hogs were put down by Saturday in Anhui province.

China is the world’s largest hog producer and is a major pork customer for Canada’s pork producers and packers.