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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Jun 6, 2023 | 11:51 AM

Those in favour of creating a federal right to repair law say the government should avoid shaping such legislation according to the wishes of special interest lobbyists as Ottawa gets set to launch consultations on the issue.

Ottawa signalled in its March budget that it would study the need for legislation to ban the sale of products that aren’t intended to last and reinforce consumers’ ability to repair the home appliances and electronics they buy.

Alissa Centivany, an assistant professor at Western University, said national right to repair rules would be critical in the agriculture, healthcare, and consumer goods sectors, which often face restrictions on third-party repair technicians.

A bill introduced last week by Quebec’s justice minister would ban the sale of products whose obsolescence is planned and require repair services be available at a reasonable price.

York University associate professor Natasha Tusikov said the lack of such protections in Canada placed the country behind its counterparts in the U.S. and Australia.

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She said the government’s consultation should hear from local mom and pop retailers along with second-hand store shoppers who are especially disadvantaged by Canada’s current framework.

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A drop in new cases of Avian Influenza in May is a positive sign for the poultry sector.

There were a few cases in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario in April and only one new case confirmed in all of Canada in May in Quebec.

That’s a dramatic change from May 2022, when there were more than 30 cases across multiple provinces, with Alberta seeing the highest number of infected farms.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba have not had a confirmed case of avian flu since late 2022.

The industry had been bracing for another wave of infections this spring with wild birds migrating North.

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The Canada Grains Council (CGC) has commended the federal government for fulfilling their commitment to the Canada Water Agency (CWA).

CGC Chair Rick White said Canadians rely on a safe and secure water supply.

“With the establishment of the Canada Water Agency, we have an opportunity to gather concrete evidence regarding the effectiveness of on-farm stewardship practices. This will enable us to prioritize decision-making based on robust scientific data,” White said.

Canada Water Agency will act as a central hub uniting stakeholders and jurisdictions on water resource management. It will serve as a centralized platform for information, research, and data coordination.

CWA is in Winnipeg, Man.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW