Barlow Concerned Over Liberal Policies

Dec 23, 2021

The Conservative Shadow Critic for Agriculture, Agri-food and Food Security says 2021 has been a challenging year from the fires and floods in BC to the drought across the Prairies.

In his yearend interview, John Barlow says while it hasn't been a record year for the ag sector, he sees agriculture as being a critical part of the pandemic economic recovery.

"As a country, we have to look at certain industries where we know are going to be productive, can generate jobs, can generate revenue and are going to be producing a commodity or a product that we know is going to have global demand. When food security and affordability are top of mind, not only here in Canada but around the world, Canadian agriculture will play a critical role."

He thinks there's going to be some great opportunities for value-added agri-businesses and processing going forward.

Barlow is also raising concerns about how Liberal Government policies are having a negative impact for producers.

"The big issue that I think we're facing is our relationship with the United States, our most trusted trading partner. We've really seen that start to erode, and we've seen that with softwood lumber, potatoes from Prince Edward Island, but now with the Senate. The Senate of the United States tabeling a bill to bring back Mandatory Country Of Origin Labeling. You know there is an underlying current here, what is going on with our relationship in the United States."

He notes trade is critical to Agriculture, and one of the most important things is having a strong relationship with our key trading partner, the United States.

Click here to see more...

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.