(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Environment commissioner criticizes neonic registrations

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s official environmental watchdog on Tuesday expressed concern that authorities were allowing the long-term use of pesticides linked to bee deaths despite not having enough information about the products. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) can grant a five-year provisional license to some products to give manufacturers time to provide […] Read more

(Photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Ontario weighs mandatory beekeeping practices in draft plan

Fresh off limiting farmers’ use of neonicotinoid seed treatments, the Ontario government now wants public comment on further moves it might make to improve the health of bees and other pollinators in the province. Among the “potential actions” up for consideration in the province’s new draft action plan are the use of public lands to expand […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Monsanto-backed panel says glyphosate not carcinogenic

Reuters — A panel of scientists is disputing a World Health Organization report published earlier this year that concluded glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is probably carcinogenic to humans. The 16-member panel, assembled by Intertek Scientific and Regulatory Consultancy, was to present its findings to […] Read more


Yara’s fertilizer terminal at Stockton, California. (Sebastian Braum photo, Yara.com)

Yara to buy Agrium fertilizer upgrading plant

Canadian fertilizer firm Agrium has a buyer lined up for a U.S. nitrogen upgrading site it’s been looking to sell since April. Oslo-based fertilizer giant Yara said Thursday it’s made a deal to buy Agrium’s West Sacramento Nitrogen Operations plant for US$27 million (C$36 million) and use the facility instead as an import terminal for […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Rookie MP named Bloc’s agriculture critic

The Bloc Quebecois has tapped a rookie Montreal-area MP from its expanded 10-member caucus to serve as its new critic for agriculture and agri-food. Simon Marcil won the newly created riding of Mirabel in last month’s election by a spread of 837 votes over Mylene Freeman, the incumbent NDP MP for Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel and the party’s […] Read more

(Syngenta.com)

Syngenta reported rejecting ChemChina takeover offer

Reuters — Syngenta has rejected ChemChina’s offer to buy the Swiss agricultural chemicals group, citing regulatory concerns, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. China National Chemical Corp., better known as ChemChina, offered about 449 Swiss francs (C$597) per share for Syngenta, valuing the Basel, Switzerland-based company at about 41.7 billion Swiss francs (C$55.4 billion), according to the […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

EU scientists say glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer

Brussels | Reuters — Glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which nevertheless proposed limits on Thursday on the amount of residue of the herbicide widely used by farmers deemed safe to consume. The EFSA advises EU policymakers and its conclusion could lead the 28-member European […] Read more