Canada’s avian flu-related ban on imports of poultry, birds and eggs from Washington and Oregon has been expanded to include the same products from California and Idaho. The ban was expanded after outbreaks of avian flu in poultry in the past week in both states, including a backyard flock of chickens in Idaho infected with […] Read more
Canada expands blocks on U.S. poultry, eggs
Grain handle up as CN books record freight in 2014
Canadian National Railway (CN) reported increased revenue from a higher grain and fertilizer handle as part of its “record full-year freight volumes” for fiscal 2014. The railway on Tuesday released fourth-quarter and 12-month results, booking substantially higher revenues and profit in 2014 over 2013. Montreal-based CN reported $844 million in net income on $3.207 billion […] Read more
Nova Scotia MP named parliamentary ag secretary
A promotion at the federal Tories’ cabinet table has led to the appointment of a new parliamentary secretary on the agriculture file. Gerald Keddy, MP for the Nova Scotia riding of South Shore-St. Margaret’s since 1997, was named Friday to replace Ontario MP Pierre Lemieux as parliamentary secretary for Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Lemieux, the […] Read more
Green group targets Super Bowl’s official hummus
If you’re a chickpea grower and you didn’t already know it, you’ll be pleased to hear Americans watching the Super Bowl this weekend might not only be chowing down on chicken wings. Thanks to its designation as the National Football League’s (NFL) official dip sponsor, they could also be dipping into Sabra brand hummus, of […] Read more
CP books record profit, more grain revenue in 2014
Increased revenue from Canadian and U.S. grain traffic alike helped boost Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to a record full-year profit in 2014. Calgary-based CP on Thursday reported net income of $1.476 billion on $6.62 billion for the year ending Dec. 31, up from $875 million on $6.133 billion in 2013. For its fourth quarter, the […] Read more
Work stoppage possible for CN engineers in mid-February
The union for engineers on Canadian National Railway’s (CN) trains warns a work stoppage could come as early as mid-February barring progress in talks with the company. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) said Thursday CN has “refused” to extend conciliation talks, now due to end Saturday, by another 60 days. The engineers’ last collective […] Read more
Lethbridge College to set up farm BRM curriculum
One of the first initiatives to be set up in Lethbridge College’s new agribusiness program will be a business risk management curriculum, drafted in a new partnership with the province’s cattle feeders association. The college and Alberta Cattle Feeders Association announced Wednesday they’ll jointly develop programming to be “offered in a variety of delivery modes […] Read more
Manitoba seeks more climate-responsive risk management
A Manitoba provincial task force has been set up to seek ways in which farm risk management programs could be “more comprehensive and sustainable” in handling “climate-related challenges” such as floods. “Manitoba’s farmers have told us existing agricultural programs can’t adequately address these climate-related challenges, especially as they become more common,” Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn […] Read more
Manitoba to boost insurance coverage on pedigreed soybeans
Increased coverage for pedigreed soybeans is among the changes planned for Manitoba’s provincial crop insurance program for the 2015 growing season. Soybeans are expected to be the largest pedigreed seed crop in Manitoba this year, the province said in a release, and the increased coverage is expected to reflect the “additional cost” of producing the […] Read more
Sask. study strengthens case for chocolate milk
Pulling chocolate milk from schools over its sugar and calorie content may drive down children’s overall milk consumption at school and make the nutritional benefits tougher to replace, a new Saskatchewan study finds. Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, with funding from Dairy Farmers of Canada, have now looked at […] Read more
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