Reading Time: 2 minutes Toronto custom burger maker Belmont Meats has become the latest subsidiary of Vancouver food processing firm Premium Brands. Premium Brands, which owns assorted processing and distribution businesses across Western Canada, Ontario and the U.S., on Thursday announced it has paid $50 million – $49.2 million in cash and $800,000 in Premium common shares — for […] Read more
Premium Brands buys Toronto burger processor
U.S. chicken chain makes move on Western Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutes The world’s second-biggest quick-service chicken chain by number of stores is set to expand its reach into Western Canada starting next month. Atlanta-based chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen announced Tuesday it plans to open a new store in November in the Tamarack area of Edmonton, followed by a store in Calgary’s Forest Lawn area, then “subsequent […] Read more
Deere to license Precision Planting wares to Ag Leader
Reading Time: 2 minutes Iowa precision ag equipment maker Ag Leader will be able to make and sell high-speed planting equipment using certain systems from Precison Planting — when, or if, Deere and Co. seals its deal to buy the latter company. Deere and Ag Leader announced Wednesday they will have a licensing agreement in place allowing Ag Leader to […] Read more
B.C. beer firm to shed Vancouver, Winnipeg breweries
Reading Time: 2 minutes The owner of Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Brewing and Surrey-based Russell Brewing is set to sell those companies to separate buyers. Vancouver-based Russell Breweries said Friday it plans to sell Fort Garry to an unnamed purchaser for about $7.7 million and Russell Brewing to a B.C. numbered company for $1.8 million. Russell Breweries, whose shares trade […] Read more
FBC earns national, provincial honours for farm coverage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg farm publishing house Farm Business Communications has earned 13 national and provincial awards so far this fall for its news and feature coverage of issues in Canadian farming. FBC, an arm of Glacier FarmMedia, earned a total of 10 gold, silver and bronze awards on Oct. 1 from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF), […] Read more
Canada resets mildew grading standards on milling wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s visual grading standards for mildew in Prairie milling wheat have been relaxed to reflect what’s now known about the actual quality of affected wheat. The Canadian Grain Commission on Friday announced new mildew guidelines, “effective immediately,” for western Canadian milling wheat classes, to allow for an “increased presence” of mildew in visual guides and […] Read more
U.S. investment firm takes major stake in SunOpta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian organic and non-GMO food firm SunOpta Inc. has taken on a new minority owner to help it pay down debt and boost its “flexibility.” The Mississauga-based, publicly traded company said Friday it has picked up an $85 million investment, in the form of exchangeable preferred shares, from Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management. The investment, […] Read more
Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beef and beef products from Canadian cattle of all ages may again be shipped to Mexico under newly expanded access announced Friday. The announcement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, on his first official visit to Mexico, follows up on a joint statement in June that Mexico was in the “final stages of due diligence” to reopen […] Read more
Bill to tighten cruelty laws downed in Commons
Reading Time: 3 minutes A federal private member’s bill meant to tighten animal cruelty laws in Canada — alarming farm organizations and energizing animal welfare groups en route — has gone the way of most private members’ bills. Bill C-246, introduced in February by Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and given first reading, died Wednesday in the House of […] Read more
Olymel ham consolidation spurs more plant upgrades
Reading Time: 2 minutes Meat packer Olymel’s plans to consolidate its ham production work has led to a new round of plant upgrades. Olymel, the protein arm of Quebec agricultural co-operative La Coop federee, announced Wednesday it has budgeted $3 million in “redevelopment” work for its Beauce-region hog slaughter plant at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
