Syngenta rolls out concentrated glyphosate

Reading Time: < 1 minute Syngenta Crop Protection has released Touchdown Total, a higher-concentration version of its Touchdown iQ glyphosate product. Compared to Touchdown iQ, which is concentrated at 360 grams per litre acid equivalent of glyphosate, Touchdown Total is formulated at 500 grams per litre, the company said in a release Monday. “This means less product handling is required […] Read more

Maple Leaf rebrands Elite Swine

Reading Time: < 1 minute Maple Leaf Foods’ hog production company Elite Swine has been renamed Maple Leaf Agri-Farms, the company announced Monday. The move is the latest step in the reorganization the company announced in October last year, in which it planned to refocus on value-added meat and meals. As part of that move, Maple Leaf said at the […] Read more


Alta. puts up $4.5M for biodiesel project

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta government has put up $4.46 million in grants toward Canadian Bioenergy Corp.’s planned biodiesel plant near Fort Saskatchewan, just northeast of Edmonton. The company will get the grants through the province’s bio-refining commercialization and market development program, and through the bioenergy infrastructure development program, both run through the province’s $239 million Nine-Point Bio-energy […] Read more

FCC fuels up Accelerator Loans for second year

Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada has brought back the Accelerator Loan for another year, the federal farm lender announced Monday. The Accelerator Loan program, which targets farmers under age 40, allows young farmers to maintain cash flow to build equity and build their farms, by providing flexibility in payment options and down payments as low as zero. […] Read more


Forms mailed for Ontario RMP

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ontario grain and oilseed growers who haven’t yet got a personalized application form for the provincial risk management program (RMP) can call Agricorp to get one, the agency said Monday. Over 20,000 application packages have been mailed to eligible Ontario farmers, who must review, revise (if need be), sign and mail back the personalized form […] Read more

Core extended as Dairy Commission CEO

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ontario dairy farmer John Core, the CEO of the Canadian Dairy Commission since 2002, has been re-appointed to the post for another year by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Core served as both CEO and chairman of the commission from 2002 until the two positions were split in April this year. He was also previously a […] Read more


Grain Growers past president named to CGC post

Reading Time: < 1 minute Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has named a past president of the Grain Growers of Canada to a three-year term as assistant chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. At the time of his appointment, announced Friday, Jim Smolik of Dawson Creek, B.C. sat on the GGC’s executive committee as past president and is listed […] Read more

U.S. firm buys Prairie combine parts maker

Reading Time: < 1 minute Loewen Manufacturing, a Altona, Man. maker of parts for the North American and European combine aftermarket, has been sold to an Iowa parts company. A&I Products of Rock Valley, Iowa, bought Loewen for an undisclosed sum. The U.S. company said in a release Friday that the deal will allow dealerships and repair shops worldwide to […] Read more


N.B. puts up $34M for climate projects

Reading Time: < 1 minute New Brunswick crop growers may be able to dip into or benefit from a new fund to back projects supporting the provincial climate change action plan. The province on Friday announced $34 million for the New Brunswick Climate Action Fund, dedicated to public, private and not-for-profit initiatives to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and […] Read more

Nova Scotia cider maker to expand

Reading Time: < 1 minute Nova Scotia’s Cider House Co. Ltd. plans to expand production of its high-end hard apple cider, citing opportunities in both North America and Europe. The company, affiliated with winery Grand Pre Wines Ltd. (50 miles northwest of Halifax on Minas Basin) plans to lease an area of the former Avon Foods building in nearby Berwick, […] Read more