(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Outside panel named for farm risk management review

Reading Time: 2 minutes A panel of 11 “external” experts from across the country has been picked to offer guidance and feedback on a federal/provincial review of farm business risk management (BRM) programming. The panel’s appointment follows an agreement by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers back in July to launch a review of BRM programs, assessing those programs’ […] Read more

Treated corn seed. (Syngenta.com)

Two neonics set for three-year extensions on registration

Reading Time: 3 minutes Health Canada’s pesticide regulator proposes to allow continued registration for two members of the neonicotinoid family of pesticides, both of which are under heavy scrutiny for their effects on bees and other pollinators. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency on Tuesday issued proposed decisions on clothianidin and thiamethoxam that would extend the products’ existing conditional registrations […] Read more



CN trains in Vancouver. (CN.ca)

CN, CP roll over revenue caps for 2016-17

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s big two railways have both overshot the maximum revenue they’re allowed to keep for ferrying the 2016-17 grain crop off the Prairies. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Thursday issued its annual determination of how much, if any, revenue Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) made over their maximum grain revenue entitlements […] Read more



Bestland Air’s facility near Starbuck, Man. (Photo courtesy Richardson International)

Richardson buys Winnipeg-area input retailer

Reading Time: < 1 minute An independent crop input retailer is being merged into one of its neighbours near Winnipeg as grain firm Richardson International continues on a retail expansion track. Privately-held Richardson announced Dec. 11 it has closed a deal to buy the retail assets of Bestland Air Ltd. at Starbuck, Man., about 30 km southwest of Winnipeg. Bestland […] Read more


Fibreco’s terminal at Port Metro Vancouver. (Fibreco.com)

Vancouver port space secured for pulse processor AGT

Reading Time: 2 minutes In need of ready access to West Coast tidewater, Prairie pulse crop processor AGT Food and Ingredients is set to work with the B.C. forestry sector to get it. Regina-based, publicly-traded AGT announced Monday it has reached a long-term terminal services agreement with Fibreco Export Inc., a wood fibre and canola meal exporter majority-owned by […] Read more

Missing equipment found on a rural property southwest of Saskatoon in 2016 was valued at over $1.2 million. (Photo courtesy Saskatoon RCMP)

No prison for Saskatchewan rancher over stolen farm equipment

Reading Time: 2 minutes A western Saskatchewan rancher who pleaded guilty in August to charges over the discovery last year of missing tractors, balers and other farm equipment will serve time outside the prison system, Saskatoon media reported Friday. Iain Stables, now 40, was sentenced Friday in Provincial Court in Saskatoon to a conditional term of two years less […] Read more


(Video screengrab from Agrium.com)

Agri-food supercluster announces board, CEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes The new Smart Agri-Food Supercluster (SASC) will field a team of 11 innovation and corporate leaders from across Canada as its interim board of directors. The board (see below), which will be chaired by Doug Beever of Agrium, has also appointed Rob Davies as its interim CEO. Davies brings more than three decades of leadership […] Read more

MacDon opened a new parts distribution centre in Winnipeg in 2016. (Macdon.com)

Harvestec owner Linamar set to buy MacDon

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian harvesting equipment company MacDon is set to join the ag arm of industrial equipment and parts manufacturer Linamar. Guelph-based Linamar Corp., which markets the Harvestec brand of corn harvesting headers in North America, on Thursday announced a “definitive” agreement to buy 100 per cent of Winnipeg-based MacDon and its group of companies for $1.2 […] Read more