Reading Time: 5 minutes A new federal climate plan which further cranks up taxes on carbon emissions also includes pledges of new programs to help sink more carbon into farmland. The government on Friday released the sequel to its 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change — a “strengthened” climate plan, titled A Healthy Environment and a […] Read more
New greening programs planned for ag alongside carbon tax hike
Carbon price to hit $170 per tonne by 2030
Alberta offers equivalency plan, grants for aspiring truckers
Province to cut Class 1 qualifying time for Class 3 drivers
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta government plans to reduce the entry fees — and the time required — for some drivers wanting to level up to become Class 1 truckers. Provincial Transportation Minister Ric McIver on Nov. 26 announced a new “Experience and Equivalency” program that’s expected to reduce the time required for Class 3 drivers to upgrade […] Read more
U.S. pork packer Smithfield offers ultra-cold vaccine storage
COVID-19 vaccines need storage at -20 C, -70 C
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Thursday it had offered to help U.S. health officials distribute COVID-19 vaccines and store them in ultra-cold freezers that are in high demand to support a public vaccination campaign. U.S. states, cities and hospitals are scrambling to buy freezers that can safely […] Read more
U.S. fuel industry frazzled as EPA misses biofuel volumes deadline
COVID-19 fallout complicates process
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was set to miss a deadline Monday to announce how much renewable fuel the nation’s refiners must blend into their fuel mix next year, raising uncertainty in the fuel market and prompting one biofuel association to threaten to take the agency to court. Under federal […] Read more
Awaiting the autonomous tractor
How soon will there be a self-driving, autonomous tractor in your shed?
Reading Time: 9 minutes Over the years, all the major machinery brands have shown autonomous concept tractors to the public at farm machinery shows. They clearly wanted to get the message out that they have the engineering ability to build them. For example, CaseIH displayed its concept autonomous Magnum tractor at the U.S. Farm Progress show in 2016 where […] Read more
CNH to work with Microsoft, Accenture on ‘smart’ vehicles
Reading Time: < 1 minute Milan | Reuters — CNH Industrial has set up a five-year collaboration with Microsoft and Accenture to help it to develop “smart” and connected industrial vehicles, the Italian-American vehicle and equipment maker said on Monday. The programme, part of CNH Industrial’s digital transformation plans, is expected to help the group “achieve significant revenue growth,” the […] Read more
Versatile to move tillage equipment work to Winnipeg
Buhler to halt production at Vegreville next fall
Reading Time: 2 minutes The company that makes Versatile tractors and tillage equipment is set to consolidate those product lines at its plant in Winnipeg, pulling the work out of its plant in east-central Alberta. Farm equipment maker Buhler Industries announced Friday it will halt production at the former Ezee-On manufacturing plant at Vegreville, Alta. in September 2021 and […] Read more
Buhler pulls Farm King manufacturing back to Canada
Work to halt at Minnesota plant early next year
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg farm equipment maker Buhler Industries is relocating its Farm King manufacturing work back to Canada from the U.S. this winter. After consolidating its U.S. manufacturing this summer into one plant at Willmar, Minn., about 140 km west of Minneapolis, the company said Thursday it will also halt production at Willmar in early 2021. Buhler, […] Read more
Deere buys up ag software maker Harvest Profit
Software's integrations with non-Deere systems to continue
Reading Time: 2 minutes A North Dakota company whose software is used to help farmers gauge a crop’s profitability on a field-by-field basis will now run with the Deere. John Deere on Nov. 12 announced it has acquired Fargo-based Harvest Profit for an undisclosed sum. Harvest Profit — whose software was already integrated with the John Deere Operations Center […] Read more
Telus’ farm and food sector acquisitions take new shape
Canadian telco giant launches new Telus Agriculture unit
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian telco and info tech giant Telus has consolidated its recent — and ongoing — acquisitions in farm tech, ag data management and supply chain management into a single new business unit. The Vancouver company, one of Canada’s “big five” telecommunications firms, on Thursday formally launched Telus Agriculture, billed as “a new business unit dedicated […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
