Reading Time: 2 minutes The board of Canadian fertilizer and ag retail giant Agrium has greenlit plans to dial up production of urea and ammonia at its Texas nitrogen plant. Calgary-based Agrium on Tuesday announced approval for a “debottleneck” expansion at its plant at Borger, Tex., about 70 km northeast of Amarillo. Debottlenecking — that is, increasing a plant’s […] Read more
Agrium to dial up urea, ammonia production in Texas
CN, CP would accept ‘reciprocal penalties’ in service agreements: Sask.
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s big two railways have pledged to have “thousands” of additional cars taking grain to ports until at least December this year, and would also sign level-of-service pacts with grain shippers providing for “reciprocal penalties,” the Saskatchewan government says. The provincial government, which on Feb. 12 struck a cabinet delegation to meet with grain companies […] Read more
Quebec’s first case of PEDv confirmed
Reading Time: 2 minutes A farm in Quebec’s Monteregie was confirmed Sunday as the province’s first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in hogs. The provincial agriculture, food and fisheries department didn’t specify whether the affected farm was a farrowing and/or finishing operation or provide other details on its location or the number of mortalities, if any, when it […] Read more
‘Immediate’ penalties urged for railways on grain delays
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta government is calling on federal lawmakers to impose a system of “immediate” cash penalties against railways that don’t meet obligations on grain delivery. The province’s agriculture minister Verlyn Olson is booked to meet Monday in Winnipeg with his federal counterpart, Gerry Ritz, plus representatives from the grain industry and Canadian Grain Commission. Up […] Read more
Manitoba, Quebec to declare PED reportable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Producers and veterinarians in Manitoba and labs in Quebec will soon be required by law to report porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) on hog farms. The office of Manitoba’s chief veterinary officer (CVO) announced Friday that the province “has taken the necessary steps” to add PED to its list of reportable diseases and expects the new […] Read more
Consider farmers’ viewpoint when advising on back pain
Reading Time: 2 minutes About four of every five Canadians suffer back pain at some time in their lives — but any professionals advising farmers on how to manage the problem will want to consider how farmers’ needs differ from those of other sufferers, a new study suggests. Of course, farmers’ access to health care out in rural areas […] Read more
WTO hears new COOL didn’t reduce grief for Canadian producers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian cattle and hog producer groups report a “noteworthy” admission from U.S. officials on the effects of Washington’s revised country-of-origin labelling (COOL) rules, during Canada’s latest challenge against COOL at the World Trade Organization. According to officials from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, during WTO compliance panel hearings on COOL held Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, […] Read more
CFIA testing piglet feed for PEDv infectiveness
Reading Time: 3 minutes The accepted wisdom about the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), and its ability to survive in hog blood products used in piglet feed, is being tested this week in Winnipeg. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced Tuesday it is running tests to see if feed pellets made using hog plasma from a U.S. supplier have […] Read more
Ben + Jerry’s to go full non-GMO by mid-year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Premium ice cream maker Ben + Jerry’s plans to soon pull any genetically modified (GMO) ingredients from its supply lines in both Canada and the U.S. The Vermont-based company, which makes and sells ice cream in over two dozen countries through major retailers and its chain of ice cream shops, and last year pledged to […] Read more
Landmark to test feed ingredient for PEDv
Reading Time: 2 minutes Livestock and poultry feed processing firm Landmark Feeds is tightening its feed ingredient sourcing as suspicion falls on feed ingredients as possible sources of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). Manitoba-based Landmark, owned by feed firm Nutreco since 2007, said Friday the outbreak of PEDv on “at least 10” of the 16 affected farms in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
