Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian crop protection arm of Germany’s BASF plans to step up its game in the crop inoculant business with a $10 million expansion at its Saskatoon plant. The facility, set up in 1988, handles production and research and development for BASF’s seed- and soil-applied rhizobium/bacillus inoculants, exported and sold worldwide under the Nodulator brand […] Read more
BASF to boost inoculant production at Saskatoon
Clubroot climbs up into Peace region
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of Canada’s northernmost farming areas has picked up a case of a disease well known to canola growers further south. Alberta Canola on Wednesday announced the Peace region has reported a case of clubroot in canola, in Big Lakes County, which surrounds much of Lesser Slave Lake in the region’s southeast. The disease has […] Read more
Trio of groups proposes Alberta-based agrifood ‘supercluster’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Agrium, Olds College and global satellite communications corporation MDA have submitted an application to the federal government to form an agrifood “supercluster.” The Liberal government committed up to $950 million (over five years) in its March budget to create hubs that would focus on key economic sectors in an effort to kickstart investment, boost exports […] Read more
Prairie wheat commissions to collaborate on research funding
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Prairie provinces’ three wheat commissions are set to take a team approach to research funding through a new not-for-profit body. The Alberta Wheat Commission, Sask Wheat and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association on Tuesday announced the formation of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) to “facilitate long-term investments aimed at improving profitability […] Read more
BHP Billiton puts off decision on Prairie potash mine
Reading Time: < 1 minute With its Saskatchewan potash mine project about 70 per cent dug, major Australian mining firm BHP Billiton now says it won’t be seeking board approval to bring the mine into production in 2018. The company had said in May it expected its mine at Jansen, Sask., about 70 km southeast of Humboldt, to start producing […] Read more
‘Natural’ food firm to buy cold-pressed juice maker
Reading Time: 2 minutes The owner of Life Choices Natural Foods and Rolling Meadow Dairy is set to expand its share of the Canadian juice market with a deal for the Toronto maker of Cedar organic and cold-pressed juices. GreenSpace Brands announced Thursday it has signed a cash-and-stock deal by buy the Cold Press Corp. for between $5.385 million […] Read more
Online livestock supply store expands reach west
Reading Time: 2 minutes An Ontario livestock nutrition firm’s venture into online retail for producers is expanding into the Prairie provinces with four pickup and ordering points in the region. Cambridge, Ont.-based GVF Group announced Thursday its Farmers Farmacy business, previously available only to producers in Ontario, the Maritime provinces and Quebec, now also serves Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. […] Read more
New crop of Nuffield scholars named
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s agriculture sector has yielded four new scholars to join the international Nuffield community and receive funding for research in their fields of interest. Nuffield Canada, the Canadian arm of the international Nuffield organization since 1986, has named Ellen Crane, Josh Oulton, Gavin Robertson and Shelley Spruitt as its Nuffield scholars for 2018. The new […] Read more
Options weighed for AgriRecovery in B.C. fire zones
Reading Time: 2 minutes Officials in British Columbia are now gauging what sorts of damages and expenses can be covered through an AgriRecovery plan for ranchers and farmers affected by wildfires. The federal and B.C. governments announced Wednesday they’re “working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover […] Read more
Drought-related livestock tax deferral zones widen again
Reading Time: 2 minutes More ranchers in five provinces may now be able to defer some of their taxable income from their livestock sales in 2016 due to drought. The federal government on Aug. 4 announced its final list of drought-designated regions where the livestock tax deferral provision will be allowed for the 2016 tax year, and has included […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
