Browse Data and Analysis

On May 24, 2024, the Ontario provincial government announced an accelerated plan to allow sales of wine, beer, cider, and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages in grocery and convenience stores by the end of October 2024. The initial timeline provided for implementation to begin in January 2026.

Australia is a prosperous and industrialized nation with a stable economy. The country’s strong economy underpins its open and transparent trade and investment environment and trade and economic links with emerging economies, particularly in Asia.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has opened a 60-day consultation on their draft National Potato Wart Response Plan. The consultation will remain open for comment until July 26, 2024.

Milk production in Australia for 2024 is estimated to increase, for the first time since 2020, by 3.3 percent to 8.75 million metric tons (MMT). Industry confidence is elevated by high milk prices for dairy farmers over recent years and, also lower feed and fertilizer prices and broadly good seasonal conditions in 2024.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) application to permit food derived from a banana line genetically engineered (GE) for resistance to Panama disease.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency published the finalized guidance document clarifying their position on novelty declarations and pre-market assessments for livestock feeds derived from crops developed through gene-editing.

A tale of two is emerging for wheat and barley growers in Australia. Those in the eastern states have entered the MY 2024/25 planting season with good soil moisture and a particularly good fall break with widespread rains in the first week of April.

On April 22, 2024, Canada announced the implementation of a Federal Plastic Registry to monitor the types and volumes of plastic products, including plastic packaging used in agriculture and food manufacturing, through their life cycle on the Canadian market.

In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Canada’s total production of principal grains (wheat, durum, oats, barley, corn) is forecast to increase by 4.9 percent to 61.4 million metric tons (MMT) over the previous year on an additional 1.7 MMT of wheat production. In MY 2023/24, FAS/Ottawa is forecasting a 55 percent increase in corn imports over the previous year, on strong demand for animal feed due to the impacts of drought in the Prairie Provinces.

Australia’s sugar production is forecast to increase to 4.2 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 from an estimated 4.1 MMT in MY 2023/24. This increase is due to an expected rise in sugar cane crush to 30.5 MMT in MY 2024/25, from an estimate of 29.8 MMT in the previous year.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency updated its labeling requirements for fresh grapes and the use of sulfur dioxide gas on fresh grapes during storage and transport – a result of the reclassification of sulfur dioxide when used under different scenarios.

Australian oilseed production, dominated by canola, is expected to be strong for the fourth successive season during the marketing year (MY) 2024/25. If realized, canola production of 6.5 million metric tons (MMT) would be 14 percent above the previous year’s estimate and the third largest on record.