There have been some unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these is the new celebrity status of our Chief Medical Health Officers.
Customers around the world have begun asking Canada for assurances that our supply chain will remain whole during the COVID-19 pandemic and that Canada will be an ongoing reliable supplier of grain.
The Canadian International Grains Institute and Cereals Canada are moving forward towards an amalgamated organization. This is a positive development.
I became part of the agriculture industry four years ago. Shortly after, I wrote, “Agriculture: My Journey so far”. It was a reflection on my first six months working in this amazing sector. Despite being new to agriculture I knew I had found where I belonged!
Have you ever heard of new crop missions? Probably not. Most farmers I’ve talked to over the past couple of months have never heard of them.
The federal election is over, and Canada has a new Government. It will look a lot like the last government, but there are some significant differences for agriculture.
We love technology. Apple brings out a new cell phone and there are line-ups around the block. We are talking to our own houses these days as our homes become “smart”.
There is a federal election coming this October. Members of Parliament and candidates are canvassing their constituents at barbeques, golf tournaments and eventually all-candidate debates. Now is the time for farmers to push for policies that will allow agriculture to deliver economic growth.
The world has become protectionist. There is, justifiably, much focus on issues with China. But it is not just China. Canadian agriculture commodities are blocked in India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam and face issues in key markets like Peru.
I was on a speaker’s panel a few weeks back with a farmer who said he never wanted to hear the word sustainability again. I understand the sentiment but we, as an industry, are going to be hearing that word more and more from customers and consumers around the world.
