Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer producer by capacity, surprised investors by replacing its chief executive on Tuesday for the second time in eight months, even as the company rakes in strong profits. Nutrien said in a statement it named Ken Seitz, the head of its potash business, as interim chief executive after […] Read more
Nutrien makes surprise CEO switch again despite strong profits
Abrupt change 'mighty perplexing' to analysts
City-bred farm workers
Is your next employee working today on an urban farm in Toronto?
Reading Time: 5 minutes In cities like Vancouver and Toronto, urban farms are creating a new pathway for the next generation of Canada’s farmers and farm workers, whether these young people see themselves destined for city or, indeed, rural operations. Toronto Urban Growers (TUG), a non-profit network that connects growers and facilitates knowledge sharing between them, will work with […] Read more
McDonald’s, Beyond Meat seen planning big U.S. McPlant expansion
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. is planning a major expansion of its plant-based burger with Beyond Meat Inc. in the United States in 2022, according to two Wall Street analysts. The companies began testing the “McPlant” patty in eight McDonald’s U.S. locations in November. Those restaurants have been selling enough of the sandwiches […] Read more
New China import rules bring headaches for food, beverage makers
Cooking oil, milled grains among foods moved to higher-risk categories
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters — Makers of Irish whiskey, Belgian chocolate and European coffee brands are scrambling to comply with new Chinese food and beverage regulations, with many fearful their goods will be unable to enter the giant market as a Jan. 1 deadline looms. China’s customs authority published new food safety rules in April stipulating […] Read more
Precipitation eases drought conditions on Prairies
Hardest-hit Manitoba sees 'modest' improvements
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Varied amounts of precipitation are either maintaining or alleviating drought conditions in much of the Prairies, according to the latest nationwide drought map from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM). The latest assessment for the period ended Nov. 30 showed very few areas of worsening drought in the region with […] Read more
Rent-farming: How safe is it to bulk up your rental acres?
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s not at all out of the ordinary for producers who farm thousands of acres to rent way over half their land, and while this provides some flexibility, it also comes with some uncertainty. Aimee Ferre Stang, her husband and her in-laws farm a combined 8,800 acres of rented and owned land in Saskatchewan. “Between […] Read more
Repair work on B.C. rail lines expected for days yet
CP expects to resume service 'mid-week;' some highways open only for essential travel
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canada’s big two railways expect repair work to continue into at least next week before service can resume through storm-battered areas of British Columbia to export terminals at Vancouver. Both railways, along with several major B.C. highways, have been shut this week due to damage from flooding and landslides spurred by a major multi-day storm […] Read more
India’s Modi backs down on farm reforms in surprise win for protesters
Laws to be repealed in upcoming parliament session; protests to continue until then
Reading Time: 4 minutes Ghaziabad, India | Reuters — In a surprise announcement Friday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he would repeal agriculture laws that farmers have been protesting against for more than a year, sparking celebrations for what farmers called a hard-fought victory. Modi’s decision is a significant climb-down for the combative leader and comes as state […] Read more
Panicked shoppers clear out flood-hit B.C.’s grocery stores
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Shoppers in British Columbia have emptied grocery shelves following catastrophic flooding, although the shortages are as much down to panic buying as disrupted supply chains, industry associations said on Thursday. Even as flood waters start to recede, some parts of the province are expected to face to temporary shortages of dairy supplies, with […] Read more
APEC ministers call for curbs on farm, fuel, fishing subsidies
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington/Wellington | Reuters — Pacific Rim trade and foreign ministers on Tuesday pledged to sustain the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic while pursuing talks to curb subsidies for fisheries and agriculture at a forthcoming World Trade Organization meeting. The ministers from the 21 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries said in a communique issued after […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
