A former agriculture critic for the federal opposition Conservatives will again handle the file when the House of Commons resumes sitting in two weeks. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole on Tuesday named John Barlow, MP for the southwestern Alberta riding of Foothills, as shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security. As ag critic, Barlow replaces […] Read more
Conservatives’ Barlow to return as federal ag critic
NDP, Bloc incumbent critics to return
Beef cattle producers ‘encouraged’ by new CPTPP applicants
U.K., China, Taiwan seek memberships; no additional dairy, feather access on table
With their exports on an upswing, the organization for Canada’s beef cattle producers says it’s “encouraged to see other countries’ interest” in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Oct. 18 noted the official applications to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) from the United Kingdom, China and […] Read more
Flatbread firm FGF buys Weston Foods bakery business
Weston selling to focus on retail, real estate
The parent company for Canadian grocery and retail giant Loblaw is taking a major step out of the baked goods business. George Weston Ltd. announced Oct. 26 it would sell its Weston Foods fresh and frozen bakery businesses to an arm of Toronto-based bakery firm FGF Brands for $1.2 billion. The company expects to close […] Read more
Ontario moves to phase out wild boar farming
Province, feds fund swine fever defense plans
Hoping to improve its odds against African swine fever ever getting a toehold in Canada’s hog herds, Ontario plans to regulate Eurasian wild boar as an invasive species starting in the new year. To that end, the province is making funding available to farmers who actively breed and raise wild boar to “shift to other […] Read more
Co-op to capture carbon at ethanol plant, refinery
FCL, Whitecap sign agreement to sequester fuel plants' CO2
A major Prairie ethanol and fuel producer is posed to spend just over half a billion dollars on a system to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from its operations in Saskatchewan. Federated Co-operatives announced Thursday it had signed a memo of understanding with Calgary-based ‘clean energy’ company Whitecap Resources, in which the latter company will […] Read more
Another La Nina winter predicted
Polar vortex to chill Prairies, more snow further east, AccuWeather says
Data compiled by a U.S. federal weather forecasting agency show La Nina conditions have developed over the central Pacific Ocean and are likely to linger through February. And La Nina, in turn, is expected to produce hard cold snaps over the Prairies, above-normal precipitation over southern British Columbia and relatively mild temperatures with more snow […] Read more
Olymel CEO dies of ‘sudden’ cancer
Rejean Nadeau died Thursday at 71
The CEO of Canadian pork and poultry packer Olymel has died of a “sudden and virulent cancer” at age 71, his company reported Friday morning. Rejean Nadeau, the CEO of Sollio Co-operative’s meatpacking and processing arm since 1996, died Thursday at his home at Rougemont, Que., about 25 km south of St-Hyacinthe, Olymel said in […] Read more
No evidence trains sparked Lytton fire, TSB says
Transportation Safety Board now stepping out of ongoing fire probe
There’s no proof the fire that largely destroyed a British Columbia village, damaged a key rail bridge and led to cuts in rail speed limits in high-risk areas was sparked by train traffic, the federal Transportation Safety Board says. The TSB on Thursday said its investigation, launched in early July, “has not revealed any evidence […] Read more
Hay-starved Prairies fertile ground for online scammers
At least $64,000 lost in Alberta alone, RCMP says
High demand, scarce supplies and rising prices for hay and other feeds due to this summer’s drought on the Prairies have made a market for online scammers, RCMP warn. The urgency driving such transactions may cause ranchers, farmers and farm workers to make purchases “without taking time to properly verify or research production sources,” Alberta […] Read more
Kubota to buy autosteer maker AgJunction
All-cash deal worth about $91 million
Autosteer and ag equipment guidance system maker AgJunction is poised to sell itself to farm equipment maker Kubota Corp. in a $91 million all-cash deal. Publicly-traded AgJunction, which is registered in Calgary but based at Scottsdale, Ariz., said Thursday its board has unanimously approved Kubota’s 75-cents-per-share proposal and recommended shareholders vote in favour. AgJunction would […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
