(AgroGuys.com)

Richardson buying two Alberta crop input retailers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Two independent crop input retailers in northeastern Alberta will become part of Richardson Pioneer’s ag retail chain starting Friday. Richardson on Monday announced it will buy Webb’s Crop Services Ltd. at Vermilion and Agro Guys Inc. at Forestburg, about 165 km southwest of Vermilion, for undisclosed sums. Both deals are expected to close Thursday, with […] Read more

(NHC.noaa.gov)

Harvey’s rains sending fuel prices higher

Reading Time: 2 minutes Houston | Reuters — U.S. fuel prices surged on Monday as two more Gulf Coast refiners cut output and a third considered reductions, leaving more than 13 per cent of the country’s refining capacity offline after Tropical Storm Harvey flooded plants and shut seaports. The storm swung back over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday […] Read more



Taking part in Agco’s Aug. 24 groundbreaking ceremony (l-r) were Greg Wells (operations manager, Agco Parts, North America), Lee Fuchs (Nick’s Service, Emerald Park, Sask.); Gerald Swystun (Full Line Ag, Swift Current, Sask.); Jeffrey Fluney (Dennills Agricenter, Dewberry, Alta.); Sean Ferguson (Full Line Ag); Warren Orth (Agriterra Equipment, Lacombe, Alta.); Rod Anderson (Wynyard Equipment, Wynyard, Sask.); Darren Parker (director of sales and marketing, Agco Parts, North America); and Chris Maas (Agriterra Equipment, Weyburn, Sask.). (Agco/BusinessWire photo)

Agco to ramp up Regina parts distribution

Reading Time: 2 minutes Prairie farmers using Agco equipment brands such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger can expect more types of parts to be in stock more often at the company’s Regina warehouse. The U.S. farm equipment firm’s Agco Parts arm on Friday announced a major expansion of its parts distribution centre in Regina, to be completed by early […] Read more


BHP Billiton, whose Jansen, Sask. mine shaft is shown here, describes the mine as its “most advanced” project but still in its feasibility study stage. (BHPBilliton.com)

BHP said exploring stake sale in Saskatchewan potash mine

Reading Time: 3 minutes Toronto/New York | Reuters — Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton is considering selling a 25 per cent interest in its Saskatchewan potash mine project, a stake that could be worth close to US$2 billion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move comes as activist investor Elliott Management Corp. has been pushing the company […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Trio of groups proposes Alberta-based agrifood ‘supercluster’

Reading Time: 2 minutes Agrium, Olds College and global satellite communications corporation MDA have submitted an application to the federal government to form an agrifood “supercluster.” The Liberal government committed up to $950 million (over five years) in its March budget to create hubs that would focus on key economic sectors in an effort to kickstart investment, boost exports […] Read more


Chris Neeser used a fixed-wing UAV and captured images three times during the season in two fields each of barley, canola, field peas, seed alfalfa, potatoes and spring wheat.

UAVs and crop scouting. Are they worth it?

Seven organizations supported a two-year study on whether drones can provide practical benefits to farmers

Reading Time: 5 minutes When Chris Neeser began to design a research project on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in crop scouting, he wondered if anyone would be willing to fund it. “This was different from a typical research project,” says Neeser, a research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Crop Diversification Centre, South, in Brooks. “There […] Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Myer, Va. on Aug. 21, 2017. (Video screengrab from WhiteHouse.gov)

Mexico, Canada dismiss Trump threats to scrap NAFTA

Reading Time: 2 minutes Mexico City/Ottawa | Reuters — Mexico and Canada on Wednesday dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to scrap NAFTA, describing it as a negotiating tactic designed to gain an advantage during talks to update one of the world’s biggest trading blocs. In comments that initially pushed Mexico’s peso currency down by more than one per […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

EU starts in-depth probe of Bayer-Monsanto deal

Reading Time: 3 minutes Brussels/Frankfurt | Reuters — The European Commission has started an in-depth investigation of Bayer’s planned US$66 billion takeover of U.S. seeds group Monsanto, saying it was worried about competition in various pesticide and seeds markets. The deal would create the world’s largest integrated pesticides and seeds company, the Commission said, adding this limited the number […] Read more

BHP Billiton, whose Jansen, Sask. mine shaft is shown here, describes the mine as its “most advanced” project but still in its feasibility study stage. (BHPBilliton.com)

BHP Billiton puts off decision on Prairie potash mine

Reading Time: < 1 minute With its Saskatchewan potash mine project about 70 per cent dug, major Australian mining firm BHP Billiton now says it won’t be seeking board approval to bring the mine into production in 2018. The company had said in May it expected its mine at Jansen, Sask., about 70 km southeast of Humboldt, to start producing […] Read more