Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news for farmers, seed-growers, fertilizers, ranchers, cattlemen and cattlewomen, as well as their upstream suppliers and downstream buyers in food manufacturing and processing. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Agri-Food? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Freight & Ports and Oil & Gas.

Dates: 2025-11-02 to 2025-11-08

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial Government News
• 🇺🇸 US Federal Government News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Canadian Federal Government News

Minister MacDonald completes trade mission to China, renews export and technical agreements

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald concluded an official visit to China aimed at expanding market access for Canadian agricultural products. MacDonald met with Sun Meijun, Minister of the General Administration of Customs of China, leading to an agreement to renew the Memorandum of Understanding between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and GACC to bolster animal and plant health cooperation. Technical working groups will convene this month to further institutional collaboration, as both countries agreed on increased efforts around food safety. In Shanghai, MacDonald marked the opening of a Canadian Meat Advocacy Office, supporting the Canadian Meat Council’s AgriMarketing Program. The mission also included market exposure for Canadian lobster, vertical greenhouse technology, and processed foods, with stakeholder engagements at retail locations such as Hema and the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CFIA to complete disease response at BC ostrich farm after Supreme Court ruling

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will finalize depopulation and disposal procedures at Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia, following the Supreme Court of Canada’s dismissal of the farm’s appeal against CFIA’s stamping-out policy for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Previous decisions by the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the agency's actions as reasonable and procedurally fair. CFIA reminded stakeholders that obstructing inspectors is an offence under the Health of Animals Act. In parallel, Transport Canada imposed an airspace restriction on the premises, extending to drones and aircraft, with penalties for violations under the Aeronautics Act. These steps aim to safeguard public and animal health and sustain international market access for Canadian poultry exports valued at $1.75 billion.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Senate debates budget appropriations and agricultural concerns

During the Senate sitting on November 5, 2025, Senator Scott Tannas brought attention to a bovine tuberculosis outbreak, noting sector impacts. The session included tabling of the 2025 federal budget, with wide-ranging commentary on allocations for health care, environmental initiatives, and defense spending. Senators discussed the Canadian Economic Unity Act, basic income guarantee pilots in Yukon, and agricultural land expropriation. Other deliberations involved supply chain dynamics and capital budgeting frameworks. Hon. Mary Coyle raised inquiries regarding federal funding for the 2030 nature strategy, and Senator Denise Batters questioned potential conflicts of interest in government legal contracts.

Sources: senparlvu.parl.gc.ca

Statistics Canada: Supply and Use Tables, 2022 now available

Statistics Canada released updated national, provincial, and territorial supply and use tables for 2022. These tables offer comprehensive data on the flow of goods and services across the economy, with detail relevant for assessing sectoral linkages, commodity flows, and input-output analysis.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Statistics Canada: Biannual Survey of Suppliers of Business Financing, H1 2025 published

Data from the Biannual Survey of Suppliers of Business Financing for the first half of 2025 are now available, with revised figures for the latter half of 2024. The release provides insights into trends in agricultural lending and credit availability.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Statistics Canada: September 2025 Monthly Average Retail Prices released

Statistics Canada published monthly average retail prices for selected products for September 2025, enabling comparison of consumer trends and tracking changes in food product pricing.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Canadian Provincial Government News

Ontario names Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients

Ontario recognized leading businesses, organizations, and individuals through the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture Awards, including Growing Chefs! Ontario and representatives from research, food processing, and supply chain sectors.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Ontario celebrates advancements in agri-food sector at annual awards

The provincial government honored 12 winners and 7 honorable mentions across 10 categories, acknowledging contributions in research, innovation, food literacy, and economic development in the $51 billion agri-food sector.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Quebec tables 2026–2029 immigration guidelines and 2026 plan with ag-sector TFW measures

Quebec's immigration strategy for 2026–2029 restricts temporary and permanent admissions, introduces French proficiency requirements for most TFWs after three years, and exempts agricultural TFWs from new oral French standards.

Sources: www.quebec.ca

Quebec reaffirms multi-year approach to immigration and TFW criteria

Supplementing its multi-year plan, Quebec confirmed the Skilled Worker Selection Program as the main permanent selection pathway and detailed limits for TFWs in Montreal and Laval. Agricultural TFWs remain exempt from additional French language obligations.

Sources: www.quebec.ca

New Brunswick introduces free trade legislation to harmonize interprovincial standards

The Free Trade within Canada Act was introduced to align New Brunswick's standards with those of other provinces, aiming to simplify cross-provincial sales for goods and services and strengthen regulatory consistency.

Sources: www2.gnb.ca

US Federal Government News

EPA establishes cyclobutrifluram tolerances for cotton, lettuce, and soybean

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule on November 5, 2025, establishing pesticide residue tolerances for cyclobutrifluram in cotton (gin byproducts and undelinted seed, 0.02 ppm), lettuce (leaf, 0.06 ppm), and soybean (seed, 0.03 ppm). The new rule, effective immediately, results from a Syngenta petition and comprehensive toxicology review.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

White House directs DOJ probe into meat packing industry

President Trump authorized an investigation by the Department of Justice into major US meat packing companies for alleged market manipulation. The probe focuses on foreign-dominated conglomerates controlling 85% of US beef processing, including JBS and Cargill. The action seeks to scrutinize anticompetitive practices, rancher pricing, and consumer impacts.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

White House executive order modifies US–China tariff structure under new arrangement

An executive order issued November 4, 2025, aligns US tariff rates with commitments from the Kuala Lumpur Joint Arrangement, in which China agreed to remove export controls on critical minerals and purchase US agricultural exports. The US will continue suspending heightened tariffs on Chinese imports until at least November 2026.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

EPA finalizes and proposes new SNURs for chemical substances under TSCA

The EPA issued final significant new use rules (SNURs) on November 4 and 5, 2025, for various chemical substances subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requiring manufacturers and processors to notify and secure EPA approval 90 days before engaging in designated new uses. The rules, affecting industrial and consumer chemicals such as polymers and surfactants, entail recordkeeping, workplace safety, hazard communication, and specific release-to-water directives.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

Farm Credit Administration announces Sunshine Act meeting on Veterans in Agriculture

The Farm Credit Administration will hold a Sunshine Act meeting at its McLean, Virginia headquarters and virtually on November 13, 2025. Agenda items include approval of previous minutes and a report on Veterans in Agriculture, followed by a closed session on secondary market oversight.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Government Consultations

Health Canada consults on registration of DRC-1339 for corvid control

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency has opened consultation on the proposed registration of DRC-1339 Technical and DRC-1339, which contain 3-chloro-4-methylaniline hydrochloride, as a control agent for corvids in greater sage-grouse recovery.

Sources: www.canada.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Generating better food production from the ground up: Article explores innovative approaches to soil management and crop productivity.
• Soil is their baby: Regenerative crop practices: Coverage of farmers adopting regenerative agriculture techniques.
• Let’s plant the seeds of a stronger ecosystem: Report highlights initiatives to foster ecosystem health.
• Oilseed crops regenerating farmland: Feature on role of oilseed crops in farmland regeneration.
• Regenerative potato production: Potato producers trial new soil-focused practices.
• Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: What you need to know: Coverage of this year’s major agricultural event.
• Saudi Investment Minister eyes food, mining opportunities in Canada: Examination of foreign interest in Canadian agrifood and resources.
• CFIA monitoring US regulatory shifts: Article discusses CFIA’s observation of US changes in food regulation.
• B.C. farmers trial technology to combat avian flu: Farmers in Fraser Valley adopt new technology for avian influenza prevention.
• High voltage for sustainable agricultural machinery: Industry update on electric machinery advancements.

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