Morris’ Quantum Air Drill had its first public appearance at Canada’s Farm Progress Show and its formal launch at Ag in Motion in 2018. (Grainews photo by Scott Garvey)

Rite Way proposes to buy Morris Industries

Regina farm equipment maker draws up letter of intent

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cash-crunched seeding equipment maker Morris Industries has been handed a letter of intent to purchase, from a Saskatchewan suitor with a farm equipment company of its own. Calgary consultancy Alvarez and Marsal said in a report Tuesday it received a letter of intent for a “proposed sale transaction” from Superior Farms Solutions Ltd. (SFSL), the […] Read more

Sea surface temperature anomalies on the tropical Pacific Ocean for the week centred on May 20, 2020. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

El Nino, La Nina patterns not seen prevailing during summer

Reading Time: < 1 minute London | Reuters — Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific remain neutral, meaning that neither El Niño nor La Niña weather patterns are prevailing, the U.N. World Meteorological Organisation said on Thursday. The El Niño pattern brings a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific every few years, and is […] Read more


Buhler Industries’ plant at Willmar, Minn., which today makes Versatile high-clearance sprayers, will take up more product lines as the company shuts its Fargo, N.D. facility. (Versatile-ag.com)

Buhler to halt Farm King manufacturing at Fargo

Work to move to company's Minnesota plant

Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm equipment maker Buhler Industries plans to gather its U.S. manufacturing work into one plant in Minnesota this summer and halt operations at nearby Fargo, N.D. The Winnipeg company, whose product lines include Versatile tractors and sprayers and Farm King application, tillage and hay equipment, said Monday it’s “optimizing” its U.S. production to boost efficiency […] Read more

(File photo)

Ontario extends fruit, forage insurance premium deadlines

Extension offers 'flexibility,' Agricorp says

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ontario fruit and forage growers who have production insurance premiums due this month will now have until June 30 to pay, the province said Monday. The extended premium payment deadline applies only to production insurance plans for fruit, strawberries and asparagus — and to the forage rainfall insurance plan, which uses rainfall as an indicator […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Farming deemed essential in new federal pandemic guidance

Food production and supporting industries amid 'critical infrastructure'

Reading Time: 3 minutes Workers in agriculture and supporting industries are on a new federal guidance list of employees considered “essential to maintain the health, safety, security and economic well-being of Canadians” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair on Thursday released a new guidance document, “Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the […] Read more

Riding Mountain National Park in western Manitoba. (Mysticenergy/E+/Getty Images)

Manitoba eases load limits for grains, livestock, vegetables, fertilizer

'Essential' commodities allowed at normal axle weights on more roads

Reading Time: 2 minutes Springtime load limits on certain Manitoba highways will be lifted early this year for transport of crops, livestock, fertilizer and other “essential” goods. Provincial Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced Tuesday that certain essential goods may be trucked at “normal loading” axle weights on highways usually subject to Level 1 road restrictions during spring thaw. Essential […] Read more


Beef cattle feeding in Ontario. (DebraLee Wiseberg/iStock/Getty Images)

COVID-19 strains already-battered Ontario beef industry

Limited processing capacity remains financial challenge for province's feedlot sector, despite recent increase in retail demand

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ontario’s beef industry was already in the midst of an economic crisis, but COVID-19 is worsening the financial toll on the province’s cattle feeders. Due to extremely limited processing plant capacity, an uncompetitive market and disruptions to trade and market access, Ontario’s beef industry was losing an average of more than $2 million per week […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Cash advance repayment deadlines extended

FCC gets added capital to boost lending capacity

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian farmers who have repayment deadlines coming up on their cash advances between now and the end of April will get extra time to repay those loans. The federal government on Monday announced a stay of default on loans coming due on or before April 30 under the Advance Payments Program (APP), among other measures […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Manitoba extends forage insurance survey deadline

Review's face-to-face public meetings cancelled

Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba’s provincial review of its relatively under-subscribed crop insurance offerings for forage growers has extended its deadline for grower comment. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC) last week announced it has cancelled all in-person public meetings on its forage insurance review, citing the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. But the agency has extended the deadline to take part […] Read more

Update your emergency plan and consider a wide range of ‘what-if’ scenarios, says Rebecca Husted, an expert in emergency planning for livestock. (Supplied photo)

Ahead of any emergency, plan for the worst

Disaster planning is not a pleasant task but it's vital that producers have a plan, expert says

Reading Time: 3 minutes Identify your resources and review your plan, says an expert in emergency planning for livestock. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very different type of emergency, said Rebecca Husted, a teacher of technical large animal emergency rescue. “Most disasters like fires and floods have people moving around, but in COVID-19, people are not supposed to move […] Read more