Pakistani drama breaks silence on blasphemy killings

An axe-wielding mob chases a terrified group; a daring Pakistani television drama has for the first time tackled the deeply sensitive issue of the dozens murdered for alleged blasphemy.Islam is the official religion in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and accusations of insulting religious sentiments can easily incite mob violence.Blasphemy is an incendiary charge, and the issue is rarely discussed by major media broadcasters due to security concerns.But producer Sultana Siddiqui challenged that with an 11-part television drama, which has earned praise since it began airing in December for handling a taboo topic with sensitivity.”This issue has not been raised before because of fear,” Siddiqui, founder of the Hum Network media company, told AFP.Her drama “Tan Man Neelo Neel”, or “Bruises on Body and Soul”, tells the stories of people in a small Pakistani town, and has generated millions of views and widespread praise on social media.”I took the risk in a careful manner,” she said. “That’s why people appreciated it.”- ‘Malicious disinformation’ -In the drama, the case of blasphemy centres around a character who falsely claims a dance performance takes place in a mosque, rather than the abandoned mansion it happened in.That storyline of false allegations is an echo of reality.Pakistan’s independent Human Rights Commission, in a report last month, described the “impunity for perpetrators of hate and violence”.It detailed cases of people killed, and followers and places of worship of Pakistan’s minority religions, including Christians and Hindus, being attacked over false claims.”Law enforcement… have often failed to rescue blasphemy suspects from vigilante violence,” the commission said.”A careful examination of various blasphemy allegations shows that these are invariably based on fabrications, malicious disinformation and fake news.”Siddiqui said she was motivated by a 2017 case in the city of Mardan when a mob beat 23-year-old journalism student Mashal Khan to death after accusing him of posting blasphemous content online.”I couldn’t sleep after hearing Mashal’s mother say that ‘not a single bone in his body was left unbroken — even his finger bones were fractured’,” she said.”I kept wondering: How brutally must they have beaten him?”Mohammad Iqbal, the murdered student’s father, said that the producer had chosen the “right topic” and had “honoured his son”.”We, those most affected, have rarely spoken about it publicly,” he told AFP.”At last, this conversation is happening on television”.- ‘Raise awareness’ -Siddiqui said she had long wanted to address the issue and had been carefully collaborating with fellow directors and writers to address the subject matter appropriately.”I, too, fear extremists who might not like me and could harm me,” she said.”However, I believe we should address these issues with them in a respectful manner.”Siddiqui said it was her “duty to educate people” and “raise awareness about crucial social issues” that impact society.Pakistani dramas boast a massive viewership and their popularity serves as a powerful vehicle for social change.A Gallup survey conducted in October 2023 suggested that two-fifths of the country watch dramas.”We should have spoken about such issues much earlier,” said Mustafa Afridi, the writer of the show.”If we had, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation today, perhaps our children wouldn’t be dying.”- ‘Viral critique’ -Pakistan’s media industry has been wary of the topic — and fallen foul in the past of accusations of creating blasphemous content.The release of the 2019 award-winning film “Zindagi Tamasha”, or “Circus of Life”, was halted after the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) objected to its portrayal of a cleric they deemed “blasphemous”.In 2020, a music video shot at Lahore’s Wazir Khan mosque sparked furious protests after singer Bilal Saeed was filmed dancing with actor Saba Qamar.Police filed a case against them, and they apologised — and were eventually acquitted two years later.Arafat Mazhar, the director of the Alliance Against Blasphemy Politics group, said Siddiqui’s show had “sparked a viral critique of blasphemy-related mob violence”.He called the reaction “unprecedented”.”It wasn’t just that people were watching a drama about mob violence — it was that the conversation centred on mob violence at such a large scale for the first time,” he told AFP.”The battle against blasphemy violence is not just about speaking out against mob killings. It is about challenging the structures that create and sustain them”.

Israel restarts ground operations, issues ‘last warning’ to Gazans

Israel bombarded Gaza and pressed its ground operations on Thursday after issuing what it called a “last warning” for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.The renewed offensive shattered a relative calm that had pervaded since truce took hold mid-January. Heavy air strikes began strafing Gaza early Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.Gaza rescuers said at least 10 more people were killed in a pre-dawn bombing near Khan Yunis Thursday.On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced it had resumed ground operations “in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south”.As Israel defied calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, Gazans were left to once again comb through rubble to find the bodies of their loved ones.”We’re digging with our bare hands,” said a man trying to dislodge a child’s body from a heap of concrete in Gaza City.After Israel urged civilians to leave areas it described as “combat zones”, families with young children filled the roads leading out of northern Gaza.Fred Oola, senior medical officer at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, said the renewed strikes shattered the relative calm of the past two months.”Now, we can feel the panic in the air… and we can see the pain and devastation in the faces of those we are helping,” he said.Addressing the “residents of Gaza” — governed by Hamas since 2007 — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a video: “This is the last warning.””Take the advice of the president of the United States. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open up for you — including the possibility of leaving for other places in the world for those who want to.”He was referring to a warning earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who said: “To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, 58 are still held by Gaza militants, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.- Impasse -Hamas says it is willing to negotiate and has called on the international community to act to bring the war to an end.An official from the group rejected, however, Israeli demands to renegotiate the three-stage deal agreed with Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators.”Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations but we insist there is no need for new agreements,” Taher al-Nunu told AFP.Talks have stalled over how to proceed with the ceasefire, after the first phase expired in early March.Israel and the United States have sought to change the terms of the deal by extending phase one. Hamas wants negotiations for phase two, meant to establish a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza while the remaining hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.”Moving to the second phase seems to be a non-option for Israel,” said Ghassan Khatib, a political analyst and former Palestinian Authority minister.”They don’t like the second phase because it involves ending the war without necessarily achieving their objective of ending Hamas.”Israel and Washington have portrayed Hamas’s rejection of a phase one extension as a refusal to release more hostages.- ‘Shattering’ hopes -The renewed Israeli bombardment sent a stream of new casualties to the few hospitals still functioning in Gaza.A UN Office for Project Services employee was killed and at least five other people wounded when a UN building in the central city of Deir el-Balah was hit by “explosive ordnance”, the agency said.”This was not an accident,” UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said, adding that “attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law”.At least 280 UN employees have been killed since the start of the war, according to the UN chief.UK foreign minister David Lammy said on X he was “appalled” by the incident, which the NGO Mines Advisory Group said injured a British aid worker.The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory blamed Israel, which denied striking the compound and later said the circumstances were being investigated.Thousands of Israeli protesters massed in Jerusalem, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming strikes on Gaza without regard for the safety of the remaining hostages.”We want him to know that the most important issue is to get the hostages back,” said 67-year-old Nehama Krysler.Early Thursday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels — who have launched attacks claiming solidarity with the Palestinians — said they fired a missile at Israel, which the military said was intercepted.The war began with Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.The Gaza civil defence agency’s spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Wednesday that at least 470 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed large-scale air strikes overnight from Monday to Tuesday.The agency reported 14 members of the same family killed in an Israeli strike in the north.As of Monday, before the intense strikes resumed, the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the war stood at more than 48,570, according to the territory’s health ministry.burs-ami/lb/sn/tym

La Chine active ses droits de douane sur l’huile de canola canadienne

La Chine applique depuis jeudi des droits de douane supplémentaires sur plusieurs produits agricoles du Canada, dont l’huile de canola, une mesure qui pourrait avoir un “effet dévastateur” sur le secteur, selon une organisation professionnelle canadienne.Ces taxes avaient été annoncées début mars par les autorités chinoises. Elles visent à punir Ottawa après la décision du pays nord-américain d’imposer de forts droits de douane sur les véhicules électriques produits en Chine.Des droits de douane supplémentaires chinois de 100% sont désormais appliqués sur l’huile de colza, les tourteaux d’oléagineux et les pois importés du Canada.Dans les faits, cette mesure vise principalement le canola, une plante conçue au Canada, apparentée au colza et notamment utilisée pour fabriquer de l’huile de cuisson et des aliments pour animaux. Le pays nord-américain est l’un des principaux producteurs mondiaux et la Chine l’un de ses principaux clients.Une surtaxe de 25% est également imposée sur les produits aquatiques et la viande de porc.”Les nouveaux droits de douane imposés par la Chine sur l’huile et le tourteau de canola canadiens auront un effet dévastateur sur les producteurs de canola et sur l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur, dans un contexte d’incertitude commerciale et géopolitique accrue”, a estimé Chris Davison, président du Conseil canadien du canola. “Nous demandons instamment au gouvernement fédéral de travailler immédiatement avec la Chine afin de résoudre ce problème”, a-t-il ajouté.Le Canada avait annoncé l’an passé imposer des droits de douane supplémentaires de 100% sur les véhicules électriques produits en Chine, ainsi que 25% sur les produits en acier et en aluminium.Le ministère chinois du Commerce avait estimé début mars que ces taxes “portaient atteinte” aux entreprises chinoises, poussant la Chine à répliquer.A Pékin, des habitants ont déclaré à l’AFP qu’ils étaient favorables aux mesures de rétorsion chinoises. “La Chine est devenue suffisamment forte et n’a pas besoin de dépendre des autres pays pour tout”, affirme ainsi Zheng Ruitao, âgé d’une trentaine d’années. “Je m’intéresse un peu à tout cela. Mais cela n’a pas d’impact sur moi personnellement. S’il y a des répercussions, c’est surtout au niveau du pays”, estime Song Qing, une autre habitante.Les relations Ottawa-Pékin sont à couteaux tirés depuis plusieurs années, notamment depuis la crise Huawei et l’arrestation en 2018 de Meng Wanzhou, la directrice financière du groupe privé chinois, suivie de l’incarcération en Chine de deux Canadiens.

Young Chinese women find virtual love in ‘Deepspace’

Rafayel’s girlfriends went all out to celebrate their lover’s birthday, renting malls across China for parties, decorating high-speed trains with his photos, and even staging a dazzling drone show.But the birthday boy was absent from every event — he’s a virtual character in the romantic mobile game “Love and Deepspace” that has won over millions of young women in China and beyond.Launched last year, the game blends monster-hunting action with sometimes-raunchy cutscenes in a futuristic world where “love knows no bounds”, according to Shanghai-based developer Papergames.And players are hooked on its realistic 3D character modelling, immersive narratives and the chance to build relationships with five distinct virtual boyfriends.Since its release in January 2024, the game has earned more than $500 million worldwide on the Google Play store and Apple’s App Store.About 40 percent of its revenue comes from overseas, market research firm Sensor Tower told AFP.For many, these virtual companions offer more than entertainment — they provide emotional fulfilment.Liu Xue, a 25-year-old office worker, likens her connection with Rafayel to a real-life romantic relationship.”To myself, or to my inner circle of close friends, I would say that we are lovers,” she told AFP at a birthday event in Beijing.”I don’t think I need company in real life.”He accompanies Liu daily, comforts her when she’s down — and even keeps her up-to-date on her menstrual cycle.”It’s like emotional sustenance,” she said.This attachment, however, comes with a price tag.While “Love and Deepspace” is free to download, players often spend heavily on in-game purchases to unlock additional storylines and interactions with their favourite characters.The game does not offer women partners, though there are similar games that do — but few with the same reach and popularity.Third-party surveys suggest that about five to 10 percent of those playing “Love and Deepspace” are male.- ‘Better than real life’ -Wang Yaya, a 23-year-old university student, has spent over 70,000 yuan ($10,000) on the game and related merchandise.”I’m happy to pay for the emotional value,” she told AFP.Fans pool their money to organise events — such as those to celebrate Rafayel’s birthday — where they pose for photos with cardboard cutouts of the heartthrob and exchange homemade merchandise.A seven-year veteran of games like “Love and Deepspace”, Wang attributes the willingness of her and her peers to spend to a lack of emotional support from their parents as children.”Many of my friends are the same,” she explained.And for some players, the virtual romances are much more enticing than real-life dating. Since discovering games like “Love and Deepspace”, Liu said she has lost interest in dating real men. “Playing otome games is an especially nice experience and even better than real life,” she said, referring to the wider genre of romantic games, originally developed in Japan.Student Liu Yuxuan, 22, sees her bond with Rafayel as a central part of her life. “Because everyone can have their secrets, some of which you cannot tell others. When you open the game, you can talk to him,” she said.”I can reveal myself to him without reservation, and he will show me his love without reservation,” she said.Rafayel’s love is firm and faithful — something she says is rare in real life.Another player, who goes by Zaylia, summed up the game’s appeal for her peers: “It fulfils our fantasy of being in a relationship.””Isn’t the greatest use of a relationship itself to provide emotional value?”

Parmi sept prétendants, le CIO élit son nouveau président

Qui sera le 10e président du Comité international olympique? Après des mois de suspense, les sept prétendants à la succession de l’Allemand Thomas Bach se départagent jeudi en Grèce pour prendre la tête du sport mondial.”Si je pouvais raconter les coulisses, il faudrait un livre entier”, plaisantait mercredi le candidat français David Lappartient, jugeant “plus ouvert que jamais” le scrutin de Costa Navarino, luxueux complexe face à la mer Ionienne.Depuis que le Bavarois de 71 ans a annoncé en août dernier qu’il passerait la main le 23 juin, Lappartient et ses six adversaires multiplient les entretiens et les contacts avec la centaine d’autres membres de l’instance olympique qui éliront son successeur, sans sondage ni soutien public pour mesurer leurs chances réelles.Sous la pluie mardi de l’ancienne Olympie, puis dans les coulisses ensoleillées mercredi de la 144e session à Costa Navarino, ils ont tenté d’arracher d’ultimes ralliements et de faire basculer les derniers indécis.Et l’heure de vérité se dessine enfin: jeudi autour de 16h00 locales (GMT+2), les membres du cénacle sportif devront se défaire de leurs téléphones, puis voteront à huis clos et à bulletins secrets, éliminant à chaque tour le dernier arrivé, jusqu’à ce qu’un candidat obtienne une majorité absolue.Or avec un nombre de prétendants inédit dans l’histoire du CIO, bien malin qui pourrait désigner un favori: certains “cochent plus de facteurs que d’autres”, observait mercredi Martin Fourcade, membre de l’instance depuis 2022, mais aucun ne les aligne tous.- L’ombre de Samaranch père -Seuls le Britannique Sebastian Coe, patron de World Athletics et double champion olympique du 1.500 m, et la Zimbabwéenne Kirsty Coventry, septuple médaillée en natation (dont deux titres), partagent un glorieux passé sportif avec Thomas Bach, qui avait été sacré en fleuret par équipes aux Jeux de Montréal en 1976.Mais alors que l’Allemand, avocat d’affaires, avait gravi tous les échelons du CIO dès 1991, l’Espagnol Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr est le seul à afficher une ascension comparable au sein de l’instance.Visage aussi familier du monde olympique que méconnu en dehors, “Juanito” a rejoint le CIO au moment où son père s’apprêtait à en quitter la présidence, en 2001, après 21 ans d’un règne marqué par l’explosion des revenus des JO et la fin des boycotts mais aussi par des scandales de corruption, laissant une image contrastée.Les quatre autres candidats s’avancent en outsiders: David Lappartient, champion du cumul à l’ascension fulgurante, dirige à la fois l’Union cycliste internationale (UCI) et le Comité olympique français (CNOSF), et est le principal artisan de la désignation des Alpes françaises pour accueillir les Jeux d’hiver en 2030.Le Japonais Morinari Watanabe, patron de la Fédération internationale de gymnastique, présente de loin la proposition la plus radicale – des JO organisés simultanément dans cinq villes de cinq continents -, le prince jordanien Feisal Al-Hussein insiste sur la “paix” au service du sport, et le Britanno-Suédois Johan Eliasch vante son expérience à la tête de l’équipementier Head pour réformer le modèle économique.- Géopolitique ou manoeuvres de Bach? -Quelle stratégie fera la différence face à une assemblée mêlant têtes couronnées, anciens champions et figures de l’administration et de l’industrie sportives, traditionnellement réticents à la moindre prise de position publique ?Pour Jean-Loup Chappelet, spécialiste de l’olympisme à l’Université de Lausanne, “cette élection s’avère très géopolitique”, à l’image d’un monde de plus en plus fracturé, “et il semblerait que trois blocs se dessinent”.D’un côté, un soutien “des Russes, Chinois et de leurs alliés” à Samaranch Jr, de l’autre, un “bloc anglophone” derrière Sebastian Coe, et enfin, la possible quête avec Lappartient d'”un candidat de compromis” porté par une partie de l’Europe, estime M. Chappelet. A moins que le soutien supposé de Thomas Bach à Kirsty Coventry, objet de rumeurs volontiers relayées par les autres candidats, ne fasse de la ministre des Sports du Zimbabwe la première femme à la tête de l’instance, à seulement 41 ans.”Ce que je me sens obligé de dire sur le profil de mon successeur, je l’ai déjà dit”, a balayé lundi Thomas Bach, sans clarifier plus avant sa position. “Une ère nouvelle réclame de nouveaux leaders.”

Most Asian markets track Wall St rally after Fed rate signals

Most Asian equities rose Thursday after US Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell suggested any increase in consumer prices caused by tariffs would likely be short-lived, even as the central bank slashed its growth outlook and hiked inflation expectations.Markets have been seized by volatility recently as US President Donald Trump embarks on his hardball trade policy that has seen him impose painful duties on imports from major partners, stoking recession fears.Some observers have also warned his pledges to slash taxes, regulations and immigration will reignite inflation and force the Fed to reassess its monetary policy, with some even fearing rate hikes.After a closely watched meeting on Wednesday, the US central bank stood pat on borrowing costs for the second time in a row and said “uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased”. It also predicted the economy would expand 1.7 percent this year, compared with 2.1 percent estimated in December, and tipped core inflation to hit 2.8 percent as opposed to the 2.5 percent previously seen. However, its dot plot estimate for rate cuts still showed officials saw two this year.Powell said: “We do understand that sentiment has fallen off pretty sharply, but economic activity has not yet and so we are watching carefully.”I would tell people the economy seems to be healthy.”He added that inflation had “started to move up” and officials think that is “partly in response to tariffs. And there may be a delay in further progress over the course of this year”.Any increase would be “transitory”, Powell said, but warned it would be hard to determine how much of a factor the levies — as opposed to other factors — would play in lifting prices. The remarks were taken as market-supportive and 10-year US Treasury yields, a proxy of monetary policy, dropped. That was also helped by news the Fed would slow its pace of balance sheet reduction — the bank ramped up bond-buying during the pandemic to keep rates low and has been offloading them in recent months to normalise monetary policy.- ‘Do the right thing’ -Trump late Wednesday called on decision-makers to cut rates now, urging on his Truth Social platform to “do the right thing”.Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, said: “The Fed doesn’t have all the answers but faces plenty of questions about how it is interpreting the shift in the US economy and policy impacts.”For now, the market seems reassured that the Fed is ready to act if needed.”But he added: “Overall, the outlook remains uncertain.”All three main indexes on Wall Street rallied.And most of Asia followed suit, with Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Wellington and Manila all up. Jakarta gained almost two percent to extend Wednesday’s gains, but the index remains under pressure — it has dropped 10 percent in 2025 — on concerns about Indonesia’s economy, Southeast Asia’s biggest.Hong Kong, however, retreated after a breathtaking run-up this year that has seen the Hang Seng Index pile on more than 20 percent. Shanghai also dropped.Tokyo was closed for a holiday.The yen extended Wednesday’s gains after Powell’s dovish comments, while the dollar was also softer against the pound and euro.But lingering tariff fears and geopolitical developments helped safe-haven gold to another record above $3,056.Oil rose again following a fresh upsurge in Middle East hostilities after Israel launched its most intense strikes on Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas took effect.Traders are also keeping tabs on eastern Europe after Trump told Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States could own and run his country’s nuclear power plants as part of his bid to secure a ceasefire with Russia.Zelensky said he was ready to pause attacks on Russia’s energy network and infrastructure, a day after Vladimir Putin agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.- Key figures around 0250 GMT -Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 24,525.12Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,419.55Tokyo – Nikkei 225: Closed for a holidayEuro/dollar: UP at $1.0912 from $1.0903 on WednesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3010 from $1.3002Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.27 yen from 148.71 yenEuro/pound: UP at 83.88 pence from 83.82 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $67.50 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $71.06 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.9 percent at 41,964.63 points (close)London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 8,706.66 (close)

Canada canola farmers squeezed by trade wars on two fronts

To sow or not to sow? Canola farmers in Canada’s vast western Prairies region have found themselves in the crossfire of trade wars with both the United States and China.”We have two economic superpowers of the world having a trade war with us at the same time,” Rick White, head of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, told AFP.”We’ve had our challenges but nothing of this magnitude. This is the worst of all scenarios,” he said, weeks before planting is to begin.Canada, a major agricultural economy, is among the world’s top producers of canola — an oilseed crop that is used to make cooking oil, animal meal and biodiesel fuel.But the bulk of canola exports go to just two customers, the United States and China, two countries with which Ottawa is now in standoffs over tariffs.A few days ago, Beijing announced 100 percent tariffs on canola oil and meal in response to Ottawa’s levies on Chinese electric vehicles, which align with those imposed on China by the United States under former president Joe Biden.Meanwhile, since coming to office in January, US President Donald Trump has threatened widespread tariffs on imports of Canadian goods into the United States.The price of canola has plunged as a result of the Chinese tariffs, dragging the price of European rapeseed down with it.- Seeding soon -All of this must be sorted out in the coming weeks, fumes Jason Johnson, a farmer from Manitoba province in Canada’s agricultural heartland.”We’re going to be seeding in about a month and once we do, we can’t change crops,” he said, while waiting for a call from a seed dealer about possible alternative crops.China accounts for nearly one third of Canadian canola exports, mainly canola seeds, while the United States is the largest market for canola oil and meal.Johnson believes it was wrong for Canada to impose tariffs on China.”We should go back to China and say, ‘We’ll lift our tariffs if you lift yours,’ basically doing a Trump by threatening tariffs and then retracting them,” he told AFP.On his 2,500-acre farm just north of the Canada-US border, he grows canola each year on about 1,000 acres, and feels certain the United States will ramp up tariffs against Canada that will be widespread and hit hard.Those tariff threats have already sent shockwaves through Canada, as more than 75 percent of its exports go to the United States. A trade war between the two neighbors, with Canada retaliating, would cause significant damage to the Canadian economy.- ‘Engage with China’ -Canola Council of Canada chief executive Chris Davison is urging the Canadian government “to immediately engage with China, with a view to resolving this issue.”Ottawa and Beijing have been at loggerheads for several years, relations having soured after Canada detained a senior Huawei executive on a US warrant in December 2018 and Beijing retaliated by holding two Canadians. A deal was reached that saw all three detainees released in September 2021, but bad blood remains, with Beijing criticizing Ottawa for aligning itself with Washington’s China policies and Canadian authorities regularly accusing China of interference.As this goes on Canadians wonder if bright yellow fields of canola will be seen in the Prairies this spring.Johnson says switching from canola to alternative crops at the last minute wouldn’t be easy. Markets for other crops are mostly smaller and if canola farmers switch to cultivating them it would lead to an oversupply and a drop in prices for those agricultural commodities too.He noted also that Canada has “invested a lot in the last 20 years in infrastructure” to crush canola into oil and meal.