A major canola crush plant that faced an unclear future just south of the Canada/U.S. border has a new owner in one of the States’ top agribusinesses. Ag co-operative CHS Inc. last week sealed its deal to buy Northstar Agri Industries at Hallock, Minnesota, about 40 km southeast of Manitoba’s main U.S. border crossing at Emerson. The Northstar […] Read more

Over-the-border canola crusher gets new owner

N.S. halts local-level biomass, wind power plan
Nova Scotia is ending its feed-in tariff program that pays local-level groups to generate power from biomass, wind and other renewable sources. Energy Minister Michel Samson said Thursday a provincial review of the community feed-in tariff (COMFIT) program shows it’s “at a point where the program could begin to have a negative impact on power […] Read more

Avian flu controls lifted in 10 U.S. states
U.S. animal health officials have closed the books for now on avian influenza infections in 10 states, with five others remaining. In its latest report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last week, the U.S. federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said all control areas for avian flu have been released […] Read more

Alta. cuts ranchers’ water pump rental fees
Ranchers and farmers renting the Alberta ag ministry’s pumps and pipes to move water for livestock watering and domestic use in dry areas may now get the equipment for half the going rate. The province announced Thursday it will cut the rental fees charged under its annual Water Pumping Program, through which producers, or groups […] Read more

Loan called on Legumex’s U.S. canola crusher
Prairie special crop processor Legumex Walker is weighing its options after major lenders to the company’s U.S. canola crushing arm called their loan. Pacific Coast Canola, a cold-press canola crushing operation at Warden, Wash., about 160 km southwest of Spokane, is 84 per cent owned by TSX-traded, Winnipeg-based Legumex, and 16 per cent owned by commodity […] Read more

Last of Ontario’s avian flu quarantines ends
Movement of birds and bird products in, through and out of southwestern Ontario’s Oxford and Waterloo counties is no longer subject to federal quarantine. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced Wednesday it has removed its second and final avian influenza control zone, which has been in place since April 21 and covered portions of both […] Read more

29 varieties to be removed from CWRS and CPSR classes
The Canadian Grain Commission has announced that as of August 1, 2017, 29 varieties will no longer be eligible for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat classes. The list (see below) of 25 CWRS and four CPSR varieties includes formerly popular varieties such as Katepwa, Harvest and Kane as […] Read more

PHOTOS: Ag in Motion: Photo gallery wrap-up
A few more final sights from Western Canada's Outdoor Farm Expo
There is always something new out there…The Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatoon this week was the “Pot of Gold” in terms of discovering what is new or is coming down the pipeline with new farm machinery, production technology and advances in crop development. Above, Leeann Minogue, editor of Grainews interviews, centre, talks with […] Read more

Voluntary COOL still not OK: Ritz and Fast
Two U.S. senators have introduced a bipartisan bill which would replace mandatory country-of-origin labelling for meat within a voluntary program, but it doesn’t impress Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast. The bill is intended to bring the U.S. into compliance with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling in May that the […] Read more

Good news on berthas but watch for hoppers
In his weekly Call of the Land report, Alberta Agriculture insect management specialist Scott Meers says there is good news on bertha armyworm in the province this year. “We’re finding very few bertha armyworm moths, which means we’re not expecting any trouble with them this year,” he said. Only three traps have been found with […] Read more