Canada's Federal Trade Minister Stresses Importance Of Agriculture

Jul 02, 2015

Federal Trade Minister Ed Fast has been in discussions with farm business leaders in western Canada to discuss how to promote Canada's exports around the world.

He said agricultural exports are an important part, adding the food processing industry is arguably the largest industry in the country.

"Seven per cent of Canada's GDP is driven by what happens in agriculture and agri-food," said Fast. "This is very important for Canada's long term prosperity. We want to make sure that our producers and our processors have the ability to sell their products into markets all around the world."

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.