Boosting market access for Alberta’s agricultural wares and other exports is expected to loom large on the new provincial premier’s radar. Jim Prentice, sworn in Monday as premier, kept Wetaskiwin-Camrose MLA Verlyn Olson as his minister of agriculture and rural development, and reappointed Jason Krips as deputy minister for the department. Prentice, in his mandate […] Read more
Incoming Alta. premier taps ex-MPs to push for market access
Man sought on alleged ag equipment scams
Police in Alberta and Saskatchewan are looking for a 31-year-old man wanted on fraud charges stemming from allegedly unfulfilled online ads for farm equipment. Bradly Barry Kowalczyk is wanted on warrants from Calgary and the Three Hills, Chestermere, Crowsnest Pass, Viking, St. Paul and Olds areas of Alberta on charges relating to fraud over $5,000, […] Read more
CN to be fined for under-hauling grain
Canadian National Railway (CN) is set to be fined for allegedly failing to meet its now-mandatory minimum weekly grain handle. The as-yet unspecified penalty would be the first under the federal Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act passed earlier this year. [Related story] The Act requires CN and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to move a minimum […] Read more
Meat industry groups seek rehearing of COOL court case
Canadian, U.S. and Mexican livestock and meat industry groups want a rehearing from a U.S. court that so far has shot down their challenges of U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) laws. The American Meat Institute (AMI), the lead group in a list of plaintiffs including the Canadian Pork Council and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), filed […] Read more
Rogers Sugar plans layoffs at Montreal refinery
As a cost-cutting measure in a “very competitive” domestic sugar market, Rogers Sugar plans to cut back its Montreal refinery’s workforce by 59 employees. The Montreal plant, run by Rogers subsidiary Lantic, will cut the positions through “layoffs, early retirements and voluntary departures,” the company said Wednesday. Canada’s sugar industry operates in an open market, […] Read more
Sask. wolf hunting pilot starts next week
A provincial pilot project allowing licensed hunters to help thin out the wolf packs on behalf of livestock producers in predator-ridden northeastern Saskatchewan will get underway Monday (Sept. 15). Saskatchewan’s environment ministry said Thursday the pilot wolf hunt will run until March 31, 2015, strictly in wildlife management zone (WMZ) 49, which runs south along […] Read more
New Holland to buy sprayer manufacturer Miller
Wisconsin precision spraying equipment maker Miller can expect to break further into the Canadian market following a friendly takeover by New Holland’s farm equipment arm. New Holland’s parent firm CNH Industrial announced a “definitive agreement” last week to buy the assets of Miller-St. Nazianz Inc. for an undisclosed sum. New Holland has had a manufacturing […] Read more
Feds back livestock genetics marketing push
A bid to boost sales of Canadian dairy, sheep and goat genetics in export markets has picked up seven-figure federal funding. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Wednesday announced $1.6 million for the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association (CLGA), mainly to help the association achieve its target of increasing sales and exports of dairy genetics by 10 […] Read more
FNA gauging farmer interest in bid for CWB
Farm input buying group Farmers of North America (FNA) is feeling out Prairie farmers’ appetite for investment in a bid for control of CWB. Saskatoon-based FNA, already in the midst of a plan dubbed “ProjectN” to develop fertilizer manufacturing assets by 2017, last week launched a separate online campaign seeking farmer expressions of support “to […] Read more
Pork probed for links to Alta. E. coli cases
A probe of dozens of cases of E. coli-related illnesses over the summer in Alberta has now led to recalls of certain raw pork cuts and frozen pork products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced recalls of all raw pork products sold by Calgary’s V+T Meat and Food between July 14 and Sept. […] Read more
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