By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday April 20, 2021

Apr 20, 2021 | 10:58 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — Canadians continue to maintain very positive views about the current and future state of agriculture and food in Canada.

The third annual national Agri-Food public opinion poll by Grassroots Public Affairs yielded some interesting results.

Principal and senior consultant Peter Seemann said 91 per cent of Canadians surveyed were extremely confident in food grown or produced domestically while 86 per cent of respondents endorse increased government support for the agriculture and agri-food sectors.

Seemann said the findings confirm policy makers and industry leaders can build on the agriculture sector’s reputation as the most important contributor to the country’s economic landscape.

“Few other industries are viewed as positively by Canadians. This is a sector with enormous potential to aid in Canada’s economic recovery,” Seemann said.

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The survey also found 70 per cent of those surveyed had never had the opportunity to visit an operational farm. The 30 per cent that did had a positive experience.

The Canada-wide survey was conducted via an online panel of roughly 1,000 Canadian, 18 years of age or older between Mar. 23 and 30.

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A California bill passed in 2018 has the potential to seriously disrupt the marketing of pork throughout the United States.

California’s Proposition 12, due to come into effect Jan. 1, raises the minimum space requirements for veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens and bans the sale of products in that state from farms that do not meet the new standards.

Iowa Pork Producers chief executive officer Pat McGonegle told the Manitoba Pork annual meeting the National Pork Producers Council and others are taking legal action against it.

“We have a million sows here in Iowa and we figure none of those sows are compliant to Prop. 12, so we are hopeful the legal process will be successful,” McGonegle said.

Regardless of where products originate, McGonegle said they will have to comply with the new law in California so it is an issue the entire U.S. pork sector will need to deal with.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW