Province proposes puppy mill ban

 

The Conservative party is introducing legislation to ban puppy mills.

It’s not clear how the distinction between puppy mills and legitimate dog breeders will be determined.

But one proposed requirement is that a document providing parentage information be provided, apparently to address concerns about inbreeding and deformities.

Other measures that will be outlawed are:

·       Breeding a female dog more than three times in a two-year period, or breeding more than two litters from a female dog's consecutive heat cycles;

·       Breeding a female dog that is less than a year old;

·       Failing to keep a dog with a contagious disease away from other dogs or animals;

·       Failing to ensure a dog's environment is sanitary and free from accumulation of waste;

·       Separating a puppy from its mother before the age of eight weeks

The legislation will also introduce minimum penalties of $10,000 to anyone found to be operating a puppy mill and $25,000 if these violations result in the death of a dog.

It’s time to hike taxes

It’s time to reverse policies on taxes because decades of cuts and restraint have left us in big trouble.

We have a housing crisis, a homelessness crisis, a health care crisis, an education funding crisis, an infrastructure crisis.

Yet even as these developments became obvious, Ontario Premier Doug Ford cut taxes – on gasoline, on driving licence renewals, developer fees, building materials, etc.

The federal and provincial governments have downloaded responsibilities to municipalities which have been trying desperately to hold the line on property taxes.

Even now that they are debating budgets that will most certainly require tax increases, the federal and provincial governments are adding to their burdens with further cuts to the funds they have been providing for refugees, for childcare and related services.

There was a time when low-cost housing was built by the federal and provincial governments. That’s long gone because they were focussed on cutting taxes.

There was a time when universities were well funded. Ford capped university and college tuition but did not increase funding so now they are filling classrooms with foreign students who pay about three times the tuition of Canadian students.

And now foreign students are lining up at food banks. And living in squalid conditions, such as nine Indian students I know living in one house and a Nigerian student living in one room for which he is charged $900 a month.

Our infrastructure has been neglected because municipal politicians would not pay to maintain it. In Kitchener, where I live, decades of delays have ended in annual increases in surtaxes on water bills to finally begin ripping up streets to replace water mains and sewers.

In Toronto, which watched the Gardiner Expressway crumble for years, the situation is so dire that Ford finally bit the bullet and resumed responsibility.

But in my community, long-promised highways between Kitchener and Guelph, Waterloo and Elmira and north, Kitchener and Stratford and from Guelph to Niagara have not been built. There is a daily cost in time lost in traffic tie-ups . The environment also suffers as traffic is stalled while engines continue to guzzle fossil fuels.

My first candidate is restoration of the federal GST. That would do more to fight inflation than hiking interest rates and the burden would be spread across the entire economy. The province also ought to increase the GST to pay for education, health care and housing for the homeless and poor.

An inheritance tax ought to be brought back. It doesn’t cost the dead people anything and is a tax on a windfall for heirs who did little to earn the wealth.

It’s past time to stop cutting taxes and services and to reverse course so we can once again have a decent society.

Bill C-234 is dead

 

Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business organization and a long list of others lobbying for passage of Bill C-234 to eliminate the carbon tax on energy to dry grains and heat barns and greenhouses are doomed to failure.

The bill passed the House of Commons over the objection of the Liberals.

It is now at the Senate where Senator Pierre Dalphont has proposed an amendment to eliminate barns and greenhouses from the exemption. 

That was defeated, but he has introduced it again. It is clear that Dalphont is determined to throw passage of the bill off track.

This has angered Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre who charge the Senate is thwarting the will of those elected to lead the nation.

But the Conservatives did exactly the same thing under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, using the Senate to block a bill approved by the House of Commons that called for action on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. 

That bill was introduced by a Liberal, but passed the House.  Bill C-234 was introduced by a Conservative and passed by the House. All that has changed is those arguing against the Senate stalling.

So, expect a long time to pass before C-234 gets through the Senate, with or without amendments.

Then when it goes back to the House of Commons for its consideration, the Liberals will almost certainly oppose it.

And they might have support from others who have been highly critical of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for exempting home heating oil from the carbon tax.

Trudeau probably now realizes that as a mistake that has undermined his commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

So like it or not, I predict farmers will have to continue to pay the carbon tax. Count it as their contribution towards saving us from climate-change disasters.

Farmers might make greater progress by lobbying for subsidies or tax breaks on cover crops to capture carbon. That also has a benefit for farmers by improving their soil health and water-holding capacity which will surely be more important in a warmer and more drought-prone world.

Court restricts wetlands definition

 

An Ontario court has thrown out a conservation authority’s definition of wetlands in a decision impactnng Peter Archer of Campbellford who faced charges for cutting down dead ash trees on 10 acres beside his grain elevator business.

His lawyer said the case Peter Archer brought against the Lower Trent Conservation Authority is a significant victory for farmers and their right to  be informed about conservation authority land classification and be able to challenge the definition as protected wetlands.

Archer was unaware of the wetland classification until almost completing the clearing of dead trees on his land, a task initiated due to ash borer damage. The conservation authority pursued legal action and in its evidence was a picture of the land taken after days of heavy rains.However, 

Justice of the Peace Leona Dombrowsky, a former Ontario agriculture minister, acquitted Archer on all eight charges. The verdict was based on evidence from an agrologist, biologist, and arborist hired by Archer, who concluded that the area could not qualify as a wetland due to extensive drainage.

Jacob Damftra, Archer's lawyer, argued that the conservation authority overstepped its boundaries, intervening in standard farming practices such as soil cultivation. He emphasized that the land had never been officially classified as a wetland and failed to meet the necessary criteria for such a designation.

The decision, hailed as crucial for the agricultural community, clarifies the definitions of "wetland" and "development" in the Conservation Act. It highlights that normal agricultural activities do not constitute illegal development.

Meat growth is slowing, says Rabobank

Animal protein production growth will slow as margins remain tight in 2024, forecasts Rabobank analyst Justin Sherrard.

It means producers and processors will need to adapt to sustain success, he wrote in the bank’s annual forecast for the sector.

Higher production costs and tighter supplies will push animal protein prices up and constrain global consumption in 2024, he said.

Input costs and inflation are likely to fall but will remain at a higher level than pre-pandemic. There are also signs that consumers are growing used to higher prices and, in some markets, willing to pay a quality premium. But they will continue to reduce purchases of plant protein alternatives, he wrote.

Demographic shifts will see the labour market tighten and raise production costs, while reduced population growth will slow consumption. 

Elsewhere, there will be pressure to invest in upgrading production systems to serve emerging market needs, meet regulatory requirements and cater to changing consumer preferences around sustainability. 

Adverse weather conditions and disease also present challenges.

Sherrard said “for companies to sustain the success of the past few years, it’s essential that they adapt to the structural changes in the market. Instead of simply riding out the storm, animal protein businesses need to take stock of their strengths and prepare to transition their supply chains to operating in an environment with high costs and tight margins.

“Companies should double-down on improving their productivity, review their existing portfolios, strengthen supply chain partnerships, increase investment in new product development and adjust their pricing strategies to navigate the challenges of the coming year.”

Poultry and aquaculture will be the only two species groups to see production grow in 2024, predicts Rabobank, though it will be slower than in 2023. Beef will continue the decline seen in 2023, moving with changes in cattle cycles in North America, while pork production will also contract modestly. 

So my personal forecast is that the supermarket chains will pressure suppliers and they, in turn, will pressure farmers and we know from experience how that ends.

Pigtrace fees increase 10 per cent

The Canadian Pork Council is increasing prices for pigtrace tags and RFID devices by 10 per cent.

The increases take effect Dec. 15.

The council said it needs the increase to carry on. It is facing higher costs to buy the tags and accessories and higher shipping costs.

The universal tag applicator will be priced at $30.04; the Retract-o-matic tag applicator, $80.99; a replacement tag pin, $3.50; and a permanent marker, $5.78.

Quantity	Non-electronic,    .	Non-electronic,     .	FDX-RFID,    .	HDX-RFID,
	small	large	large	large
25-275	$1.33	$1.61	$3.55	$4.41
300-475	$1.11	$1.38	$2.98	$3.82
500-1,975	$0.99	$1.24	$2.66	$3.47
2,000+	$0.94	$1.19	$2.55	$3.32
.	Non-electronic,    .	Non-electronic,     .	FDX-RFID,    .	HDX-RFID,
	small	large	large	large
25-275	$1.33	$1.61	$3.55	$4.41
300-475	$1.11	$1.38	$2.98	$3.82
500-1,975	$0.99	$1.24	$2.66	$3.47
2,000+	$0.94	$1.19	$2.55	$3.32

U.S. seeking “creaitive ways” to market dairy in Canada

 United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said government officials are looking for “creative” ways to sell more dairy products in Canada after a trade dispute panel ruled in favour of Canadian restrictions on dairy import quotas.

Vilsack said the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office are weighing next steps in the long-running dispute over Canada’s largely closed dairy market, but declined to say whether they would bring new challenges under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Trade (USMCA).

“What I can tell you is that we’re going to continue to look for creative ways to promote and sell dairy products in Canada, and to basically get our fair share of the market up there – as the Canadians promised,” Vilsack said during a meeting with Reuters reporters and editors in Washington.

He did not identify specific steps, but said USDA and USTR would work to persuade Canada to provide market opportunities “in the same way they’re going to basically articulate the need for more openness to some of our markets. That advocacy is going to continue.”