The federal Conservatives have tapped one of their rookie Quebec MPs as the new agriculture critic for Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Andrew Scheer, elected in May as the Tories’ new leader, on Wednesday announced his first shadow cabinet with Luc Berthold, the MP for Megantic-L’Erable, as agriculture and agri-food critic and John Barlow, MP for […] Read more
Federal Tories look east for ag critic
Clubroot ‘heavily’ infests NW Saskatchewan field
Clubroot has made its presence known in the far northwest of Saskatchewan’s canola-growing region, with the discovery of a “heavily infested” field. SaskCanola on Monday reported the discovery of the disease in a field in crop district 9B, but didn’t give its specific location. District 9B is a group of 16 rural municipalities east of […] Read more
Saskatchewan rancher pleads guilty over stolen ag equipment
A western Saskatchewan cattle rancher has pled guilty on 18 charges over the discovery last year of tractors, balers and other farm equipment reported missing in the region, according to Saskatoon media. Iain Stables, 39, of the RM of Montrose entered guilty pleas in Provincial Court in Saskatoon Monday on 17 counts of possession of […] Read more
Koch to seek Saskatchewan Party leadership
A long-time Prairie agriculture policy player who last year became Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall’s seniormost bureaucrat has joined the race to replace him. Alanna Koch, who farms with her husband at Edenwold, Sask., about 40 km northeast of Regina, announced her candidacy Monday for the leadership of the province’s governing Saskatchewan Party. Koch was the […] Read more
Richardson buying two Alberta crop input retailers
Two independent crop input retailers in northeastern Alberta will become part of Richardson Pioneer’s ag retail chain starting Friday. Richardson on Monday announced it will buy Webb’s Crop Services Ltd. at Vermilion and Agro Guys Inc. at Forestburg, about 165 km southwest of Vermilion, for undisclosed sums. Both deals are expected to close Thursday, with […] Read more
Agco to ramp up Regina parts distribution
Prairie farmers using Agco equipment brands such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger can expect more types of parts to be in stock more often at the company’s Regina warehouse. The U.S. farm equipment firm’s Agco Parts arm on Friday announced a major expansion of its parts distribution centre in Regina, to be completed by early […] Read more
BASF to boost inoculant production at Saskatoon
The Canadian crop protection arm of Germany’s BASF plans to step up its game in the crop inoculant business with a $10 million expansion at its Saskatoon plant. The facility, set up in 1988, handles production and research and development for BASF’s seed- and soil-applied rhizobium/bacillus inoculants, exported and sold worldwide under the Nodulator brand […] Read more
Clubroot climbs up into Peace region
One of Canada’s northernmost farming areas has picked up a case of a disease well known to canola growers further south. Alberta Canola on Wednesday announced the Peace region has reported a case of clubroot in canola, in Big Lakes County, which surrounds much of Lesser Slave Lake in the region’s southeast. The disease has […] Read more
Trio of groups proposes Alberta-based agrifood ‘supercluster’
Agrium, Olds College and global satellite communications corporation MDA have submitted an application to the federal government to form an agrifood “supercluster.” The Liberal government committed up to $950 million (over five years) in its March budget to create hubs that would focus on key economic sectors in an effort to kickstart investment, boost exports […] Read more
Prairie wheat commissions to collaborate on research funding
The Prairie provinces’ three wheat commissions are set to take a team approach to research funding through a new not-for-profit body. The Alberta Wheat Commission, Sask Wheat and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association on Tuesday announced the formation of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) to “facilitate long-term investments aimed at improving profitability […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
