Farmers dump bags of corn grain in front of the Papineau riding office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal, as they protest the lack of propane due to the CN strike, on Nov. 25, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Christinne Muschi)

CN strike drags on, hitting grain exports, fertilizer output

Ottawa/Montreal | Reuters — A prolonged strike at Canadian National Railway, the country’s largest railroad, sent further shocks through the economy on Monday with grain shipments scuttled and layoffs planned at fertilizer producers and an auto shipment terminal. As Canada’s biggest rail strike in a decade entered its seventh day, industry kept pressuring the government […] Read more

The Nextroad commercial truck tire line debuts in Canada this year.

New truck tire brand hits the market

Nextroad brand jumps into the Canadian marketplace

Prometeon Tyre Group, the parent company of the well-known Pirelli tire brand, is introducing another name to the U.S. and Canadian markets: the Nextroad range of heavy truck tires. As an initial offering, Nextroad will produce 295/75R22.5 and 11R22.5 tire sizes. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020 it will add 11R24.5 to its portfolio. […] Read more


Large R Series tractors 
have been given some design and engineering changes for the 2020 model year.

John Deere 7R versus 8R tractors

With overlapping horsepower ranges, what’s the difference between them?

Across Western Canada, most John Deere dealers will likely tell you that on their lots, 8R tractors far outsell the 7Rs. Given that these two model ranges have overlapping horsepower ranges, what is it that each series offers that might be a better fit to each potential buyer? That was a question that marketing staff […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Propane shortage looms as CN strike hits third day

Winnipeg/Ottawa | Reuters — Shippers scrambled to shift freight onto trucks on Thursday as a strike at Canada’s biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway, hit its third day, leaving the critical fuel propane and other goods stranded. Some 3,200 unionized employees, including conductors and yard workers, hit picket lines on Tuesday in the biggest such action […] Read more

Norbert Beaujot’s DOT system, shown here in Woodstock, Ont. in September 2019, has a new majority owner in South Dakota-based Raven Industries. (Farmtario photo by John Greig)

U.S. manufacturer buys control of DOT Technology

A made-in-Canada self-guiding farm equipment platform has sold control of itself to one of its U.S. investors. Sioux Falls, S.D. precision agriculture manufacturer Raven Industries announced last week it has closed its deal to buy majority ownership in Regina-based DOT Technology Corp. for an undisclosed sum. DOT said the deal will allow it to “further […] Read more





File photo of propane tanks. (Joe_Potato/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. states declare emergencies to help farmers in propane shortage

Reuters — Regional shortages of propane, which is used for heating homes and barns and by farmers to dry their crops, have led to emergency declarations covering nine U.S. Midwest states amid late harvests of soggy grains. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin declared state emergencies beginning in late October, and continued last Friday to […] Read more

File photo of propane tanks. (Joe_Potato/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. propane bottlenecks not affecting Canada

MarketsFarm — Despite ongoing shortfalls of propane in some areas of the U.S. Midwest, the situation doesn’t appear to be adversely affecting Canada, according to the Canadian Propane Association. The late harvest in the Midwest has been further hampered by wet conditions, forcing farmers to dry their grain before putting it in the bin. As […] Read more