Reading Time: < 1 minute IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) has announced that Brad Vannan has been appointed president and chief operating officer of ICE Futures Canada, formerly the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange. He succeeds Will Hill, who recently stepped down. Vannan is a 23-year veteran with experience in the global agricultural markets. He most recently held the position of vice-president at Agricore United, […] Read more
New president for ICE Futures Canada
Few surprises for farmers in Man. budget
Reading Time: 2 minutes A pledge to fund sustainable farming practices is among little new for farmers in Manitoba’s provincial budget Wednesday. Finance Minister Greg Selinger referred to “a multi-year funding plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting sustainable farm practices, trucking technologies, active transport initiatives and green heating technologies,” but a dollar figure and specifics weren’t yet […] Read more
CWB replaces DPCs with no-tonnage limit program
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Wheat Board plans to replace its daily price contract (DPC) pilot program with a new, no-tonnage limit producer payment option (PPO) for the 2008-09 season. The new PPO — still being developed in consultation with farmers, the board said — will not have the same restrictions on tonnage commitment and time frame as […] Read more
Sask. launches crop insurance review
Reading Time: < 1 minute A review of Saskatchewan’s provincial crop insurance program is officially underway, the provincial government announced Wednesday. “I said during our budget announcement that we need to fix programs so they work for farmers instead of providing band-aid solutions,” provincial Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud said in a release. Business consultancy firm Meyers Norris Penny has been […] Read more
Swine cull program starts April 14
Reading Time: 2 minutes The national cull breeding swine program will start taking applications from hog producers on April 14. The Canadian Pork Council, which will administer the $50 million federal program, said in a release Wednesday that payments of $225 per breeding sow, boar or pregnant gilt, less the animal’s selling price, will be available for approved producers […] Read more
B.C., Manitoba approve APF extensions
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Manitoba and British Columbia governments have officially agreed to extend funding for some federal/provincial Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) programming. The two provinces will each extend their share of funding up until April 1, 2009 at the latest. The extension applies to four ag programming pillars of the five-year APF, other than the business risk […] Read more
Federal food safety bill tabled
Reading Time: 2 minutes A federal bill to boost the fines for food safety violations and strengthen federal powers to order product recalls has arrived at the House of Commons. A new Consumer Product Safety Act and amendments to the Food and Drugs Act were in the legislative package introduced Tuesday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a release […] Read more
Manitoba hog farmers get AgriStability TAP
Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba’s beleaguered hog farmers will be offered early access to their expected AgriStability payout for 2008, under a Targeted Advance Payment (TAP) program announced Tuesday. Letters are in the mail to eligible Manitoba hog producers with information about the amount of their advance and how to receive a payment, the federal and provincial governments said […] Read more
Canadian, U.S. ag market researchers merge
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canadian market research firm Ipsos Reid’s agribusiness, food and animal health division has announced plans to merge its practice with Forward Research, a U.S. firm in the same field of interest. The combined company will be known in the U.S. as Ipsos Forward Research, the two firms said in a release Monday. “For years we’ve […] Read more
Rail exec calls for further deregulation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada must stay on track toward full deregulation in grain transportation to drive investments that are critical for increased efficiency in the system, according to a CN marketing executive. Jean-Jacques Ruest, senior vice-president of marketing for Canadian National Railway (CN), on Monday said deregulation has produced competitive rates for rail grain transport in Canada and […] Read more