Canada and the Philippines have launched “exploratory discussions” toward a possible free trade agreement, from which Canadian livestock and grain producers could expect to gain. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Philippines’ President Benigno Aquino announced the discussions Friday in Ottawa during Aquino’s state visit, which ends Saturday. A Canada-Philippines free trade agreement “would strengthen […] Read more
Canada, Philippines to talk about free trade talks
Manitoba New Holland dealers soon all in one chain
Farmer fans of the New Holland brand in Manitoba will soon be dealing with just one company in the province for new and used equipment, service and parts. Brandon-based Mazergroup on Thursday announced it’s signed a letter of intent to buy the assets and operations of Southeastern Farm Equipment — the lone New Holland dealer […] Read more
Salford to buy applicator maker Valmar
Prairie manufacturing firm Valmar Airflo, known for its farm-, commercial- and research-grade granular applicator systems, is under new ownership. Valmar, set up in 1977 at Elie, Man. by farm mechanic, crop duster and inventor Charlie Balmer, has been sold to Ontario seeding and tillage equipment firm Salford Group for an undisclosed sum. Valmar will continue […] Read more
NDP wave pulls down Alta. Tories, ag minister
Alberta’s incumbent agriculture and rural development minister is among the casualties of the provincial New Democrats’ unprecedented majority in Tuesday’s election. Verlyn Olson, the MLA for Wetaskiwin-Camrose since 2008, the province’s ag and rural development minister since 2012, and its acting justice minister for about a week and a half, was downed by NDP candidate […] Read more
P.E.I. Liberals in need of ag minister after win
Wade MacLauchlan’s Liberals scored another majority in the Prince Edward Island legislature in Monday’s election, but will need to find a new agriculture minister. George Webster — who’d held the post from 2009 until Monday, stepping down temporarily in 2009 to recover from a mild heart attack — opted not to run again in his riding […] Read more
Ontario won’t widen comment window on neonics: GFO
The public comment period on Ontario’s planned regulations for neonicotinoid seed treatments will close Thursday as scheduled, despite requests from the province’s grain grower group for an extension. The province has “refused” to extend the public comment period on the use of the insecticide group in seed treatments, Grain Farmers of Ontario said in a […] Read more
H5N8-positive wild duck found in B.C.
Ongoing surveillance of Canada’s wild birds has turned up the country’s first-ever case of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu, in a duck carcass at a British Columbia bird sanctuary. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Friday reported the case to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), noting such a detection in wild birds “should […] Read more
U.S. soy shippers say rail service improved
The U.S. Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) says it’s pleased with recent improvements to rail service, and is giving especially high marks to Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). Last week, the STC and the University of Minnesota concluded the research project “2014 Harvest: Attaching a Garden Hose to a Fire Hydrant,” which was started due to U.S. […] Read more
Maple Leaf results improve as Toronto plant shuts
Maple Leaf Foods booked improved sales and margins for its first fiscal quarter as the last of its further-processing plants slated for closure in 2011 completed its last production run. The Toronto meat processing firm on Thursday reported a net loss of $2.86 million on sales of $720.25 million for its quarter ending March 31, […] Read more
No time like now to scout for resistance: CCC
Grain and oilseed growers making weekend plans are advised that herbicide-resistant weeds have way fewer places to hide right now. Any weeds that lived through pre-seeding burnoff or post-emergent spraying — where other weeds have clearly died — are best caught early, the Canola Council of Canada said in a release Friday. “It takes 14-21 […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
