Agricultural Growth Act Receives Royal Assent

Mar 02, 2015

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced Friday that Bill C-18, also known as the Agricultural Growth Act, has received Royal Assent.

The act is expected to modernize Canadian agriculture and increase trade opportunities for farmers by providing greater access to new crop varieties and the latest technology.

"Canadian agriculture is an important driver of economic growth across Canada," said Ritz. "The passage of the Agricultural Growth Act is a momentous step forward for our agricultural industry. This Bill will give producers a competitive advantage in the global marketplace, lead to increased investment in research and innovation, and translate into more jobs throughout the sector."

This new legislation strengthens agricultural intellectual property rights through the ratification of the act of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, also known as UPOV'91.

The legislation also improves access to the latest scientific research, reduces red tape and regulatory burden on producers, and expands global market opportunities.

Source: PortageOnline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.