A U.S.-owned artisanal butter processor in central Ontario is set to become an arm of Ontario dairy co-operative Gay Lea Foods. Michigan-based butter producer Butterball Farms has agreed to sell Stirling Creamery, based at Stirling, Ont., north of Belleville, to Gay Lea effective Nov. 1. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though Gay Lea […] Read more
Gay Lea to buy central Ontario butter maker
Pork packer HyLife to enter expansion mode
Manitoba hog slaughter and pork processing firm HyLife says it’s setting itself up for major expansions of its hog finishing and pork processing capacities. The company on Friday said “steady growth in demand” for its pork products overseas calls for an investment of up to $125 million in its integrated pork operations, to start “as […] Read more
Get the most from your accounting
Tax Planning: Accrual financial statements provide the best for management decisions
Accrual is the way to go with farm financial statements, according to a farm accounting specialist. “Cash accounting only measures cash, and that has nothing to do with profitability,” says Beverly Johnson, a partner at KPMG Enterprise in Saskatoon. Accrual accounting is the measure of profitability, she says. Johnson has been a farm accountant for […] Read more
Dairy firms plan joint processing venture in Winnipeg
Manitoba dairy producers are expected to get a new outlet for their raw milk from a new joint venture to process butter and dairy ingredients in Winnipeg. Mississauga-based dairy co-operative Gay Lea Foods and ingredient processor Vitalus Nutrition of Abbotsford, B.C. on Monday announced a joint venture to be based at an unnamed “existing food […] Read more
Saskatchewan to thin out wolf pack along treeline
Aiming to prevent “wolf-livestock conflicts” in the region, Saskatchewan’s environment department will again offer a wolf hunting season along the provincial forest fringe starting Saturday. The wolf hunt, running from Oct. 15, 2016 through to March 31, 2017, is to be allowed in wildlife management zones 43 (Melfort, Tisdale), 47 (North Battleford, Turtleford), 48 (Preeceville, […] Read more
AVC to handle non-routine care for New Brunswick horses
New Brunswick’s government, which co-ordinates veterinary services in the province, has reached a deal with the University of Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) to provide “specialty services” for horses. Details of the agreement in principle, announced last week, are “still being finalized,” the province said in a release, but service delivery is expected […] Read more
CP to chart weekly grain handling performance online
Canadian Pacific Railway plans to launch a new weekly “supply chain scorecard” next week, to chart its own performance handling Prairie grain. The Calgary company announced the new program Friday for an online launch Wednesday (Oct. 19), noting the scorecard “will include, when necessary, detailed information on any internal or external factors affecting grain movement” as […] Read more
Premium Brands buys Toronto burger processor
Toronto custom burger maker Belmont Meats has become the latest subsidiary of Vancouver food processing firm Premium Brands. Premium Brands, which owns assorted processing and distribution businesses across Western Canada, Ontario and the U.S., on Thursday announced it has paid $50 million – $49.2 million in cash and $800,000 in Premium common shares — for […] Read more
U.S. chicken chain makes move on Western Canada
The world’s second-biggest quick-service chicken chain by number of stores is set to expand its reach into Western Canada starting next month. Atlanta-based chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen announced Tuesday it plans to open a new store in November in the Tamarack area of Edmonton, followed by a store in Calgary’s Forest Lawn area, then “subsequent […] Read more
Deere to license Precision Planting wares to Ag Leader
Iowa precision ag equipment maker Ag Leader will be able to make and sell high-speed planting equipment using certain systems from Precison Planting — when, or if, Deere and Co. seals its deal to buy the latter company. Deere and Ag Leader announced Wednesday they will have a licensing agreement in place allowing Ag Leader to […] Read more
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