Plaintiff Dewayne Johnson listens as attorney Brent Wisner, not shown, speaks about his condition at trial in San Francisco on July 9, 2018. (File photo: Josh Edelson/Pool via Reuters)

Bayer loses California appeal of Roundup verdict

Damages payable to plaintiff are further reduced

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Bayer AG failed to persuade a California appeals court to overturn a verdict favouring a school groundskeeper who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer but reduced the amount of damages by 74 per cent, to US$20.5 million. The decision by the California Court of Appeal came after a San Francisco jury […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Feds proposing to expand wage subsidy program

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government wants to expand an emergency wage subsidy program so that all businesses suffering losses from the COVID-19 outbreak will benefit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Friday. Morneau told a news conference that Ottawa would drop an earlier requirement stipulating that businesses needed to show a 30 per […] Read more


(Pierre-Olivier Valiquette/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. court finds for California’s work with Quebec on carbon market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — A U.S. federal district court has ruled that California’s co-ordination with Quebec in a cap-and-trade carbon emissions market is constitutional, a blow to the Trump administration made public in a filing late on Friday. In October, the Trump administration sued California for entering a climate agreement with Quebec, saying the state […] Read more

A view near the Canadian end of the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor and Detroit and is considered one of North America’s busiest trade routes. (Steven_Kriemadis/iStock/Getty Images)

Non-essential travel limits extended at U.S. borders with Canada, Mexico

Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — Restrictions on non-essential travel at U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will be extended through Aug. 21, Canada and the United States announced Thursday. “Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the current border measures by one month until Aug. 21, and we’re going to keep working closely […] Read more


(TopconPositioning.com)

Brandt closes GeoShack deal, locks up Topcon sales in Canada

Tractor company revives Ontario deal

Reading Time: 2 minutes A deal to make Brandt Tractor the exclusive dealer for Topcon geopositioning equipment clear across Canada has been resuscitated. Regina-based Brandt announced Tuesday it has closed its previously-announced deal to buy the assets of GeoShack Canada — two weeks after Dallas-based GeoShack declared that “a mutually beneficial deal… has not been attained.” GeoShack has been […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market in summer mode

Set-aside program not having much effect yet on prices

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Volumes are quite thin at this time of year, which makes the market hard to define. Steady demand surfaced on quality groups of yearlings and calves, while late stragglers and heavier-flesh feeders were severely discounted. Pasture conditions are favourable across the Prairies and […] Read more



Canada/U.S. border signage in downtown Detroit. (RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images)

CUSMA pact takes effect under cloud of disputes, COVID-19

Deal appears to assure continuity of trade for agriculture

Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington/Mexico City/Ottawa | Reuters — A modernized U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact took effect on Wednesday, ensuring continuity for manufacturers and agriculture, but the threat of disputes is exposing cracks in what was meant to be a stronger North American fortress of competitiveness. As the deal kicks in, the Trump administration is threatening Canada with new aluminum […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. settlements not expected to change availability, labels for glyphosate, dicamba

Bayer to pay up to US$12 billion to resolve ag chem, PCB claims; company is "not contemplating" a Canadian glyphosate settlement

Reading Time: 5 minutes Updated, June 25 — Farmers in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere shouldn’t expect any changes to availability or label directions for Bayer’s stable of glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, coming out of a massive settlement for thousands of lawsuits, the company says. The German company announced Wednesday it expects to spend up to $12 billion in […] Read more

(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

National seeds sector groups put merger plan to vote

New organization, if approved, would be called Seeds Canada

Reading Time: 2 minutes Members of five national seed sector organizations are set to vote this summer on their proposed amalgamation under a single banner, Seeds Canada. A “detailed ratification package” has gone out to members of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI), Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA) and Commercial […] Read more