Reading Time: 2 minutes U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris International has won the last blessing it needs from Ottawa to take over Canada’s only Canadian-owned, publicly traded tobacco processor. New York-based PMI in late July announced a $2 billion, $30-per-share bid for Rothmans Inc., pending approval from Canada’s Competition Bureau, as well as approval from Industry Canada under the […] Read more
Rothmans takeover gets federal approval
Alberta Pulse Growers join GGC
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Pulse Growers has been accepted as a member of the Grain Growers of Canada, the national group announced Friday. “The 4,500 farmer members of the Alberta Pulse Growers bring expertise to our board on the many issues facing their sector and we are looking forward to their input and perspective,” president Ross Ravelli said […] Read more
Bee Maid boosts processing capacity
Reading Time: < 1 minute Winnipeg’s Bee Maid Honey has unveiled a new production line with a goal of raising its sales of packed honey by one million pounds per year. Bee Maid, which bills itself as North America’s largest single-source honey marketer, on Friday said its added equipment has only been online for a short time but has already […] Read more
Editors’ Picks: Eagles blamed for lamb losses
Reading Time: 2 minutes A species of eagle that’s been reintroduced on Scotland’s west coast is being blamed for the losses of over 200 lambs in a remote area so far this season, according to the British farm journal Farmers’ Weekly. The magazine said on its website that farmers and crofters on northwestern Scotland’s Gairloch peninsula, about 110 km […] Read more
PotashCorp boosts share buyback
Reading Time: < 1 minute Calling its stock “significantly undervalued,” Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan plans to raise the ceiling on its recent share repurchase program to 10 per cent of its common shares. The share buyback program, which PotashCorp announced in January, was originally limited to five per cent of common shares, and that repurchase of cancellation of 15.82 million […] Read more
Near half of farmers pledge to food banks: poll
Reading Time: 2 minutes Almost half of all Canadian farmers have at least once donated some of their production to a local or international food bank organization, a new poll reports. The poll, conducted by Ipsos Forward Research with 1,048 farmers in early May this year, found 46 per cent of respondents have donated a portion of production. Of […] Read more
Prairie hail claims rise: report
Reading Time: 2 minutes Saskatchewan is headed for a record season in terms of insurance payments to farmers for hail damage, an insurers’ group reported Thursday. The Canadian Crop Hail Association, which releases a review every second Thursday during the crop season, said “all indicators point to heavy losses” this year in the province, due both to the severity […] Read more
Malting barley unchanged in mid-Sept. PRO
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Wheat Board’s latest mid-month pool return outlook for 2008-09 malting barley, issued to provide more timely price signals in a volatile market, hasn’t budged from August. The CWB on Thursday posted a new mid-month PRO of $348 per tonne for Select Canada Western (CW) two-row designated barley, and $328 per tonne for Select […] Read more
Ont. groups to collect livestock drugs, sharps
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ontario farmers will be able to take unused livestock drugs and sharps to collection sites in November under a new pilot program. The Ontario Farm Animal Council, in a release Tuesday, said its “clean sweep” pilot program will be held between Nov. 20 and 22 at six locations in southwestern and eastern Ontario. “Ontario is […] Read more
Canaryseed, mustard groups get new managers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Saskatchewan’s canaryseed and mustard growers have new management for their commodity groups. Saskatoon ag communications consultant Kevin Hursh, well known in the province for his weekly columns on farm issues, took over Sept. 1 as executive director of the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission and the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan. Adele Buettner of AgriBiz, a […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
