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Conservative's Call For Rapid Testing Pilot For Agriculture

There's a renewed push on Ottawa to do more when it comes to streamlining the process for international farm workers when it comes to COVID.
 
The Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Lianne Rood feels more needs to be done to reduce the isolation times for workers when they arrive.
 
"Something I've been asking the Federal Health Minister for, and also Provincial Health Ministers, is a rapid testing pilot project for instance for workers. Particularly in fruit and vegetables who are coming into greenhouses and starting the season in January."
 
Rood says we can't have a repeat of last year when a farmer lost his entire crop of cucumbers because the entire group of workers he had there had to isolate for two weeks and no one was allowed into the green houses.
 
She notes international farm workers designated to help in greenhouses are starting to arrive now.
 
The Liberals have issued a blanket requirement for all international travellers, including farm workers, to test negative for COVID before boarding a flight to Canada, but she says they've done nothing to reduce the isolation times for workers when they arrive.
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Video: USDA Feb Crop Report a WIN for Soybeans + 1 Year Trade Truce Extension


USDA took Trumps comments that China would buy more U.S. soybeans seriously and headline news that the U.S./China trade truce would be extended when Trump/Xi meet in the first week of April was a BIG WIN for soybeans this week! 2026 “Mini” U.S. ethanol boom thanks to 45Z + China’s ban of phosphates from Feb. – August of 2026 will not help lower fertilizer prices anytime soon! 30 mmt of Chinese corn harvest is of poor quality and maybe a technical breakout in wheat futures.

*Apologies! Where we talk about the latest CFTC update as of 10th Feb 2026, managed money funds covered their net short position in canola to the tune of +42,746 week-on-week to flip to net long 145 contracts and not (as we mistakenly said) +90,009 wk/wk to 47,408.