News-Canada-East related content provided by https://www.farms.com/ Copyright � 1995-2026 Farms.com, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. With just under 3.5 million beef cows and a fed kill shy of 3 million head, Canada raises a fraction of North America’s cattle — but exports roughly half of what it produces as live cattle or beef. Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) General Manager Ryder Lee says Alberta–Saskatchewan cow country, Ontario and Alberta feeding hubs, and U.S. packing plants in Washington, Utah and Pennsylvania are tightly interlinked, making border access and science-based trade rules non-negotiable for producers on both sides. Raised on a commercial cow-calf operation in southern Saskatchewan — just 20 miles north of Montana — Lee grew up in what he describes as “cattle country.” After earning an animal science degree, he spent six years in agricultural sales with Dow AgroSciences before stumbling into cattle industry association work. He spent a decade in Ottawa doing policy lobbying, then served seven years as CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association before joining CCA as General Manager three y https://www.farms.com/news/10-of-the-cows-half-the-beef-exported-how-canada-punches-above-its-weight-242874.aspx NEWS_242874 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:19:45 GMT It's been all about building as many new homes as possible in Ontario recently, but now a big corporation wants to stop housing projects in the Sarnia area — something that’s pitting rural and urban communities against one another. Cargill wants the provincial government to utilize its Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) for the opposite reason it was originally intended. The tool has become increasingly common as Ontario pushes to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. An MZO allows the housing minister to override the local planning process and make decisions directly. Usually, that means speeding up development. But in Sarnia, Cargill wants Minister of Municipal Affairs of Housing Rob Flack to step in and block new homes from being built near its property. The company is one of the biggest agricultural corporations in the world, and it operates a large grain terminal at Sarnia Harbour. This is where farmers truck their corn, soybeans and wheat at harvest time. Some of the product also comes https://www.farms.com/news/agricultural-giant-at-centre-of-urban-rural-housing-divide-in-ontario-border-city-242873.aspx NEWS_242873 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:18:13 GMT On June 2 the manufacturer announced the release of the MX Series mini excavators https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/kioti-entering-mini-excavator-market-869.aspx NEWS_242869 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:40:00 GMT New CFIA testing results show consistently high compliance across Canada’s food supply, supporting consumer confidence and trade credibility. https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/cfia-reports-show-strong-canadian-food-safety-compliance-across-national-testing-programs-868.aspx NEWS_242868 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:34:37 GMT Ontario crops show steady progress with near-complete planting, early growth challenges, and rising weed and disease concerns across corn, soybean, and wheat fields. https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/ontario-crops-show-strong-start-despite-weather-challenges-867.aspx NEWS_242867 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:52:39 GMT Traffic through the St. Lawrence Seaway continued to lag last year’s pace through May, with grain shipments showing one of the steepest declines among major commodities. Total cargo moving through the system reached 8.06 million tonnes year-to-date, down 3.3% from the same period in 2025. Grain volumes were particularly weak, falling 12.6% from a year earlier to 2.61 million tonnes, a decline of 377,000 tonnes. Other bulk commodities showed mixed results. Dry bulk shipments increased 8.7% to 2.56 million tonnes, supported by gains in industrial commodities, while iron ore traffic rose 2.9%. Meanwhile, coal shipments slipped 4.6%, liquid bulk cargo fell 5.1%, and general cargo posted the sharpest percentage decline, down 13.2%. Despite lower cargo volumes, vessel activity remained steady, with total transits edging up slightly to 888 ships, four more than during the same period last year. https://www.farms.com/news/seaway-grain-shipments-fall-as-overall-cargo-traffic-declines-through-may-242857.aspx NEWS_242857 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:08:50 GMT World food commodity prices were largely unchanged in May, as rising cereal and sugar prices offset weakness in vegetable oils, according to the latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index released Friday. The benchmark index averaged 130.8 points in May. That is down 0.2% from April but still 2.9% higher than a year earlier and 18.4% below its peak reached in March 2022 in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Cereal prices posted one of the strongest gains among major food categories in May. The FAO cereal price index averaged 114.3 points, up 2.6% from April and nearly 5% above year-ago levels. Wheat prices climbed for a fourth straight month, supported by deteriorating crop prospects in several major exporting countries, including the U.S. where winter wheat conditions rank among the weakest seen in decades. Rising fuel and fertilizer costs amid the U.S.-Iran conflict also added support to world wheat values. Corn markets strengthened as impor https://www.farms.com/news/world-food-commodity-prices-little-changed-in-may-242856.aspx NEWS_242856 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:07:55 GMT Ontario farmers made significant planting progress over the past week as improving field conditions allowed producers to finish seeding and catch up on delayed acres following a wet May, according to the latest weekly field observations from Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) on Thursday. Field activity has shifted increasingly toward crop scouting, with growers beginning to monitor fields more closely for weeds, insects, and disease pressure as crops emerge across the province. Corn planting is estimated by GFO at 93% complete as of Wednesday, up from 86% the previous week, with crop development ranging from emergence to the five-leaf stage. Soybean planting also advanced rapidly, reaching 80% complete, a jump of 19 percentage points from the previous week, although some heavier clay soils only recently became fit for equipment after prolonged wet conditions. With planting stretching into June in some regions, discussions have emerged around switching to shorter-season varieties, https://www.farms.com/news/significant-progress-for-ontario-planting-242855.aspx NEWS_242855 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:06:13 GMT The world is changing rapidly, with intensifying economic competition, accelerating technological change, and a global race to secure the talent, infrastructure, and innovation that will define the future. Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the centre of that transformation, changing how people live and work, how businesses compete, and how countries protect their sovereignty. While Canada has world-class talent and one of the fastest-growing digital sectors in the G7, we are among the slowest countries to adopt AI at scale. This gap risks undermining public trust, driving Canadian talent and startups abroad, and leaving critical parts of our AI ecosystem under foreign control. With the global AI market projected to reach U.S.$4.8 trillion by 2033, Canada has a limited but real opportunity to ensure AI works for all Canadians – to harness this technology to create jobs, protect Canadians, and strengthen our prosperity. Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, launched AI for All, Cana https://www.farms.com/news/prime-minister-carney-launches-ai-for-all-canada-s-new-national-artificial-intelligence-strategy-242854.aspx NEWS_242854 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:04:27 GMT Tech-Access Canada welcomes the Government of Canada's new national artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All, and its focus on helping Canadian businesses, workers, and students harness the benefits of AI to strengthen productivity, competitiveness, and economic growth. Canada has earned a global reputation for excellence in artificial intelligence research. The next challenge is ensuring that businesses across all sectors of the economy have the support they need to adopt and apply AI technologies in practical ways that improve operations, create new opportunities, and enhance competitiveness. The strategy's emphasis on AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), workforce development, and hands-on learning opportunities for students reflects areas where Canada's colleges, cégeps, and Technology Access Centres (TACs) are already making a meaningful contribution. Across Canada, Technology Access Centres help thousands of businesses each year evaluate, test, vali https://www.farms.com/news/tech-access-canada-welcomes-canada-s-ai-strategy-and-focus-on-helping-businesses-adopt-ai-242853.aspx NEWS_242853 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:03:26 GMT Today, Mitacs applauds the Government of Canada's release of AI for All, the federal national AI strategy that envisions trusted, reliable, and sovereign artificial intelligence that benefits all Canadians. Mitacs is proud to be named by Prime Minister Carney as a partner in delivering a key pipeline of AI-related jobs and work opportunities for young Canadians. Canada has long led the world in AI research, and this strategy charts the course for translating that knowledge into economic and social benefits for the entire country. Building on its commitment to artificial intelligence as a key research priority, Mitacs is uniquely positioned to scale programs that help companies adopt AI and embed multidisciplinary research teams directly into industry to solve complex R&D challenges and accelerate the development of novel, high-value AI solutions. Through real-world student and postdoctoral paid internships, its tested model helps Canada's small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, d https://www.farms.com/news/mitacs-welcomes-canada-s-ai-for-all-strategy-242852.aspx NEWS_242852 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:02:31 GMT As Ottawa appears to inch closer to a trade deal with India, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he hopes the agreement addresses punishing tariffs on pulse crops. But Moe says if the deal doesn’t remove the duties, it’s something his province can work around.  “The need for pulses in India is not going to go away. (Saskatchewan’s) relationship with India is not going to go away,” he told reporters Friday.  “We’ve had pulse tariffs come on and off over my time in this position … and each and every time, we’ve been able to rely on our relationship.” Last year, India imposed a 30 per cent levy on all imported yellow peas and a 10 per cent duty on lentils, causing Canadian exports of the crops to dampen.  Over 80 per cent of all pulses exported from Canada to India are grown in Saskatchewan.  Moe spoke at the Western Canada-India Leaders Summit on Friday, where Canadian and Indian diplomats talked about improving the relationship between both countries.  Christopher Cooter, Canada’ https://www.farms.com/news/premier-moe-says-new-trade-deal-with-india-would-benefit-saskatchewan-despite-tariffs-242851.aspx NEWS_242851 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:33 GMT Forest tent caterpillars are not entomologist Ken Fry’s favourite insect but the black-coloured critters with vibrant blue-and-yellow marks do have a soft spot in his heart. They’re why his dad once let him break the house rule of not climbing the two poplar trees in their backyard, so Fry could clamber to the top of one and grab hundreds of caterpillar eggs before they hatched and destroyed leaves. ‘I was about seven-years-old … My dad said, ‘Ken, get up that tree, get after those caterpillar eggs,” said Fry, who is an instructor at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology in central Alberta. “This particular species allowed me to climb our tree with wild abandon and absolute endorsement of my parents.” Millions and millions of forest tent caterpillars, with fur that chokes hungry birds and makes beetles think twice about their next meal, are feasting on leaves in Alberta. Fry said the outbreak of the caterpillars, voraciously feeding now across the province’s lush areas includin https://www.farms.com/news/just-be-amazed-alberta-is-seeing-a-cyclical-outbreak-of-caterpillars-242850.aspx NEWS_242850 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:59:03 GMT The Educator Champion Award recognizes educators who demonstrate exceptional leadership in agriculture education by creating meaningful learning experiences that help students better understand food, farming, and the many opportunities within Manitoba's agriculture industry. For Kirby, agriculture education goes beyond the classroom. Through hands-on learning opportunities, school gardening projects, and agriculture-focused activities, she helps students build meaningful connections to where their food comes from and the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives. At Wawanesa School, Kirby has helped bring agriculture learning to life through a greenhouse and garden project she championed to give students hands-on experiences with growing food. Through planting, caring for crops, and harvesting produce, students gain a deeper understanding of food production while developing responsibility, curiosity, and practical skills that extend beyond the classroom. "Students get really ex https://www.farms.com/news/wawanesa-educator-named-aitc-m-s-2026-educator-champion-242849.aspx NEWS_242849 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:55:54 GMT The Canadian federal government has unveiled a substantial funding package for the country's forest products sector, alongside the release of the final report from the Forest Sector Transformation Task Force. Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson made the announcement on Vancouver Island on 3 June, confirming that the Business Development Bank of Canada's Softwood Lumber Loan Programme will immediately increase its maximum loan size from $30 million to $50 million, with enhanced terms for letters of credit and two new programmes offering loans upwards of $25 million. The package also includes $300 million in regional trade response initiatives to support small and medium-sized businesses with market diversification and productivity investment, plus a new $100 million Regional Development Fund targeting communities significantly affected by forest sector disruption. A further investment of almost $130 million will be directed into 56 forest sector projects through Natu https://www.farms.com/news/canada-announces-hundreds-of-millions-for-forest-sector-transformation-242848.aspx NEWS_242848 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:51:06 GMT The ‘Alberta Ag-Plastic. Recycle It!’ program has been included in the shortlist for the 35th Annual Emerald Awards, presented by the Alberta Emerald Foundation (AEF), recognizing environmental excellence across the province. The shortlist represents the top projects and organizations selected from this year’s nominations, highlighting Alberta’s impact, innovation, and leadership in the environmental space. Now in its 35th year, the Emerald Awards are among Alberta’s most recognized environmental honours, celebrating the individuals, organizations, and projects driving meaningful change across the province. About ‘Alberta Ag-Plastic. Recycle It!’ Cleanfarms, in partnership with the Agricultural Plastic Recycling Group (APRG), is operating a multi-year pilot program to recycle agricultural grain bags and twine, with the inclusion of silage plastic (silo bags, tarps, bunker covers), and bale wrap (stretch wrap for silage and haylage bales) later in 2026. The project gives Alberta farm https://www.farms.com/news/alberta-ag-plastics-recycle-it-shortlisted-for-35th-annual-emerald-awards-for-environmental-excellence-242847.aspx NEWS_242847 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:48:00 GMT Year over year, the Farm Product Price Index rose 3.5% in March. The increase in the total livestock and animal products index more than offset the decline in the total crops index. Higher prices for cattle and calves contribute to the gain in total livestock and animal products index In March, the total livestock and animal products index was up 10.2%, marking the eighth consecutive year-over-year increase. Higher prices for cattle and calves were the main contributors to the rise in the livestock and animal products index. Tight supply of cattle and calves and strong demand from processors supported prices. These factors also resulted in a higher cattle and calves index (+22.1%) in March compared with the same month one year earlier. Increases in the eggs index (+3.1%) and the poultry index (+1.2%) also contributed to the gain of livestock and animal products index in March, albeit to a lesser extent. The slight declines in the dairy index (-0.6%) and the hogs index (-0.4%) modera https://www.farms.com/news/farm-product-price-index-march-2026-242846.aspx NEWS_242846 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:45:27 GMT Land and property owned by Monette Farms and associated companies in B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be up for sale if an application to Court of King’s Bench in Calgary is approved on June 12. Monette was granted creditor protection on April 21. Now an application has been made to allow FTI Consulting, the court-appointed monitor to sell Monette’s Canadian lands as long as the proposed aggregate purchase price for each sale is equal to or less than $30 million. The wide scope of this sales approval is being sought to facilitate the process. Unlike the attempts by Monette to sell land before creditor protection was granted, this sales effort would involve brokers acting on behalf of the monitor. The proposed commencement date for the sales process is June 29 at which time a teaser letter would be send to all known potential bidders. Bids would be accepted up until October 15. Total liabilities for Monette and associated companies are in the range of a billion dollars. The m https://www.farms.com/news/hursh-monette-farms-looking-to-sell-additional-land-and-property-242845.aspx NEWS_242845 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:42:15 GMT Seeding progress in the province advanced significantly this week, reaching 80 per cent complete, up from 52 per cent last week. While this progress is encouraging, it remains behind the five-year average of 91 per cent and the 10-year average of 92 per cent. The southwest region leads seeding progress at 91 per cent complete, followed closely by the west-central region at 90 per cent, the southeast region at 87 per cent and the northwest region at 86 per cent. While the northeast and east-central regions made significant seeding progress, they remain behind at 67 per cent and 63 per cent complete, respectively. Pulse crops, including lentils and field peas, remain the most advanced in seeding progress, followed very closely by durum. Other cereals and oilseed crops made significant progress this week. Cereal crops 90 per cent for durum; 85 per cent for spring wheat; 77 per cent for barley; 66 per cent for triticale; 64 per cent for canary seed; and 63 per cent for oats. Pulse crop https://www.farms.com/news/80-of-spring-seeding-complete-in-saskatchewan-crop-report-242844.aspx NEWS_242844 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:37:49 GMT An update on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) proposed changes to traceability regulations was provided on a Tuesday night webinar hosted by the Saskatchewan Cattle Association. The proposed traceability rule changes were first announced late last year, but the reaction was swift and intense from the beef cattle community. Among the complaints from producers was the proposed additional reporting on cattle movement would be too burdensome. In response to the criticism, the CFIA paused the changes in January this year in order to get more feedback. Leading up to Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Cattle Association was holding open forum meetings around the province to get their own feedback from producers. The Canadian Cattle Association and Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association also did the same. Heather Brown, the CFIA National Manager of Humane Transport and Livestock Traceability Programs, was on the webinar. "The main messaging is really that CFIA has carefully considered t https://www.farms.com/news/beef-bison-spared-from-proposed-cfia-traceability-rule-changes-242843.aspx NEWS_242843 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:35:52 GMT