Agriculture Machinery & Farming Equipment

Talks fold on contracts for CN mechanics, clerical staff

By Country Guide Staff December 18, 2014

Reading Time: < 1 minute About 4,800 unionized mechanics, clerical workers, excavator operators and truck drivers at Canadian National Railway (CN) will go into the new year without new contracts. Unifor, whose locals have five collective agreements with Montreal-based CN, announced Thursday it’s been “unable to reach a new tentative collective agreement” in negotiations with CN since mid-September. The company […] Read more

Crops, Machinery

CN overshoots 2013-14 grain handling revenue cap

By Country Guide Staff December 18, 2014

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Western Grains Research Foundation will get a $4.98 million gift this season from Canadian National Railway, but not out of holiday spirit per se. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Thursday ruled CN, during the 2013-14 crop year, exceeded its maximum allowable revenue from Prairie grain handling by $4,981,915, above its previously set “entitlement” of […] Read more

Crops, Machinery, Markets

Diesel prices to soften in January, analyst says

By Dave Sims December 15, 2014

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Prices for diesel are expected to come down to between $1 to $1.10 per litre across Canada by early to mid-January, according to an oil analyst. Prices for regular gasoline sank weeks ago, shortly after crude oil plunged on the world market. Diesel, however, remained staggeringly high and is still listed at […] Read more

Crops, Machinery

Deere chain Cervus buys two Alta. dealerships

By Country Guide Staff December 10, 2014

Reading Time: < 1 minute Two John Deere farm equipment dealerships in southern Alberta are set to become part of Deere dealer chain Cervus Equipment. Cervus announced Wednesday it’s bought the assets of Deer-Country Equipment, which owns and operates Deere dealerships at Vulcan and High River. The deal “represents a strategic opportunity for Cervus to expand our western Canadian presence […] Read more

Machinery, Machinery Guide

Cautiously aggressive

What does it take to be inducted into a business hall of fame? CG asked Gavin Semple, the first inductee into the new Saskatchewan Manufacturing Hall of Fame

By Scott Garvey December 10, 2014

Reading Time: 5 minutes At first, the comment seemed counter-intuitive. I was sitting across a small table from Gavin Semple, chair of the Saskatchewan-based Brandt Group of Companies, during Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina in June. Semple had just been recognized as the first-ever inductee into the newly created Saskatchewan Manufacturing Hall of Fame, and I wanted to […] Read more

Livestock, Machinery, Poultry/Eggs

Poultry, captive bird movements now limited in southern B.C.

By Country Guide Staff December 8, 2014

Reading Time: 2 minutes Movements of birds, poultry products and poultry farm equipment are under new restrictions in the area where five poultry farms in British Columbia have been quarantined with avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced a new “primary control zone” in the entire southern half of B.C. south of Highway 16, split in […] Read more

Key players at the news conference announcing the new company to deliver BIXS include (from left) Larry Thomas, national co-ordinator of BIXS; Rob McNabb, general manager of the Canadian Cattleman’s Association; Hubert Lau of ViewTrak, CEO of the new company; and Ted Power, president of ViewTrak. (Lee Hart photo)

Livestock, Machinery, Markets

New company set up to deliver BIXS livestock data system

By Lee Hart December 8, 2014

Reading Time: 4 minutes A new company — a partnership between the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and livestock technology company ViewTrak — plans to bring the newborn unsteadiness of an information exchange network to a full gallop for all Canadian livestock sectors. The as-yet unnamed private company was formed to bring the CCA’s beef information exchange system, BIXS, to […] Read more

Machinery, Machinery Guide

Machinery Guide: Compact and utility tractors

Don't be fooled by appearances when it comes to performance

By Ralph Pearce December 8, 2014

Reading Time: 3 minutes The word “small” can be very misleading, especially when it comes to farm tractors, so shift your thinking with a look at today’s compact and utility tractors. We’re hoping you’ll see that when it comes to performance, you can’t let yourself be fooled by appearances. These five manufacturers are touting designs and specifications that have […] Read more

Equipment such as this offal blow tank at Quebec’s Levinoff-Colbex plant was sold to buyers onsite and online on Dec. 2. (BidSpotter.com)

Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Machinery, Markets

Shuttered Que. beef plant’s equipment sold

By Dave Bedard December 5, 2014

Reading Time: 2 minutes The chance of a rescue for Quebec’s Levinoff-Colbex cull cow packing plant has passed, now that the facility’s equipment has been sold off piecemeal at auction. Provincial investment financing agency Investissement Quebec and other creditors still own the Colbex building and land at St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, in the Centre-du-Quebec region. But the plant’s receivers sold its equipment to a consortium of […] Read more

Crops, Machinery, Markets

Grain freight minimums beneficial, but not seen as best solution

By Terryn Shiells December 1, 2014

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada –– The Canadian government’s decision to extend its order-in-council requiring a minimum tonnage of grain shipped by the two major railways each week will benefit the ag industry — but it’s not the best solution out there, according to some participants. “Extending the minimum volume requirements through the coming winter and spring season […] Read more

Daily Network News

New strategies needed for Canadian agriculture to stand out in global trade

Feed Grains Weekly: Cash prices for wheat, barley largely flat

The Canadian GMO mustard wars: Dijon vs canola

Machinery