Shareholders in Canadian fresh and frozen bakery firm Canada Bread have voted their blessing for the company’s $1.83 billion takeover by Mexican bakery giant Grupo Bimbo. Bimbo’s offer, announced in February, was approved by shareholders holding about 99.98 per cent of common shares voted at a special meeting held Thursday, the Toronto company said. Said […] Read more
Shareholders approve Canada Bread takeover
Ontario’s ‘greener’ diesel mandate takes effect
Ontario’s plan to ease its way toward mandatory minimum biodiesel content of four per cent in regular diesel is underway, starting with a two per cent mandate as of April 1. As announced Thursday, and running until the end of 2015, all fuel suppliers will be required to ensure the diesel they place in the […] Read more
Viterra to build new W. Sask. capacity
Revised, April 3, 2014 — Viterra is hatching plans to return to the Kindersley area of western Saskatchewan with its own new high-throughput grain elevator. The Regina company, now the Prairie grain handling arm of Swiss commodity firm Glencore Xstrata, announced Thursday its “intent” to build a new 34,000-tonne capacity concrete elevator at Kindersley with […] Read more
Sask. truck weight updates seen as farmers’ gain
Saskatchewan’s move to streamline allowable truck weights for certain roads, effective April 1, is expected to benefit the province’s ag and resource sectors. For one, “the increase in weight for tridem drive B-train combinations on secondary-weight highways will help get product coming out of rural areas to market more efficiently,” Dave Marit, president of the […] Read more
Ontario ups ante on horseracing support plan
The formal kickoff of Ontario’s new five-year “horseracing partnership plan” came Tuesday with a larger pot of funding than originally budgeted. The province, as of Tuesday, has earmarked “up to $500 million to support its world-class horse racing industry,” up from $400 million over five years when the new five-year plan was first laid out […] Read more
More grain cars roll as eastern passage nears opening
Canadian National Railway (CN) reports it’s nearing the federal government’s mandated goal of moving 5,500 grain cars per week, just as the Great Lakes grain shipping corridor is set to open for the season. CN on Monday reported having spotted 5,102 hopper cars for loading at country grain elevators in Western Canada during crop Week […] Read more
Manitoba to back bovine TB tracking at slaughter
Manitoba’s government plans to put up $150,000 over five years for a new project to track and monitor for bovine tuberculosis, focused on producers in the Riding Mountain region with an eye on reducing requirements for TB testing of livestock in that region. “Manitoba’s status as a TB-free province comes at a significant cost to […] Read more
Alta. to lift some spring load limits for grain
The Alberta government plans to allow grain trucks to run at 100 per cent of their axle weights on certain provincial highways otherwise restricted during the spring thaw period. The provincial government on Friday announced it will issue permits “at no cost” for grain trucks to travel at fully-loaded weights on roads otherwise subject to […] Read more
B.C. to ease land protection rules in shorter-season regions
The body tasked with guarding British Columbia’s farmland from non-farm development is about to get more flexibility in how it allows farmers in shorter-season growing regions to use their land. The B.C. provincial government on Thursday announced a package of “improvements” to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) meant to “better recognize the province’s regional differences.” […] Read more
Sask. to bend spring load limit rules for grain
Grain growers in Saskatchewan will be able to apply for permits allowing them to truck grain at “heavier-than-published” weights on provincial roads during the spring thaw period. “While we will continue to protect our investment in highways during the spring thaw, we will allow for some exceptions to spring road bans to facilitate farmers’ urgent […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
