Press Release Department: Federal - Agriculture and Agri-Food

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) completed a mission to China and India where he strengthened Canada’s long-term mutually-beneficial relationships and developed partnerships that will help build prosperous and sustainable futures for each country’s farms and agriculture industries. Ritz met with China’s Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu to secure permanent access for Canadian live cattle valued … Read more

Thousands of people are expected at farms across Prince Edward Island for Open Farm Day 2014 on September 21, as farmers open their doors to the public. At this year’s 29 participating farms, families will be able to get close to farm animals, watch cows being milked, dig up some potatoes, taste new grape varieties, … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) and Conservative Mike Wallace (Burlington, Ont.) announced an investment of $7 million to Bioindustrial Innovation Canada for a first-of-its-kind national bioproducts cluster. This cluster will help bridge the gap between research and market-ready products by connecting technology development projects from across Canada. The expected results will create opportunities for Canadian … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) and Conservative MP Dave MacKenzie (Oxford, Ont.) announced an investment of $1.6 million to the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association (CLGA) to help open new export markets to boost the global sale of Canadian dairy and small ruminants genetics. This investment will focus on developing new markets around the world for Canada’s dairy, sheep … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) announced an investment of up to $3 million in Competitive Green Technologies to help position Canada as a global leader in using green, sustainable agri-based technologies. The full release is available online.

Canadian livestock producers will benefit from more export opportunities in the Americas. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) and International Trade Minister Ed Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.) announced that Jamaica has approved all imports of beef from Canada. Effective immediately, Canadian producers can export beef to Jamaica, with full access now restored after the closure of this market in … Read more

Western grains and oilseeds producers who have been unable to market their crops due to rail transportation challenges and flooding have been granted more time to repay their 2013 cash advances under the Advance Payments Program (APP). Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) announced a stay of default on the repayment of advances for producers who received … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) announced an investment of over $1,700,000 to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America which will be used to market and promote Canadian wild blueberries internationally. The investment will help the wild blueberry sector to access new, and boost existing, foreign markets. Marketing campaigns targeted at the United States, European … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) and Conservative MP Scott Armstrong (Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley) announced an investment of $8 million for the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) to lead an organic science cluster that will help the sector respond to market demand and capture new opportunities. The cluster brings the best and brightest together, from academia, government … Read more

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask.) and Conservative MP Scott Armstrong (Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, N.S.) announced an investment of $8 million for the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) to lead an organic science cluster that will help the sector respond to market demand and capture new opportunities. The full release is available online. Call 613-773-1059.