Conservatives' Barlow to return as federal ag critic

A former agriculture critic for the federal opposition Conservatives will again handle the file when the House of Commons resumes sitting in two weeks. Conservative leader Erin O'Toole on Tuesday named John Barlow, MP for the southwestern Alberta riding of Foothills, as shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security. As ag critic, Barlow replaces[...]

Mandated cuts in fertilizer use could be costly for Canada, report warns

Straight-up cuts in fertilizer rates -- if imposed to help Canada meet its targets for cuts in emissions by the end of this decade -- could translate to significantly reduced income for farmers, an industry group warns. Fertilizer Canada, the group representing manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors for nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur, on Monday[...]


Saskatchewan raises salvage threshold for parched crops

Saskatchewan's provincial crop insurance agency is raising the yield threshold at which drought-damaged crops can be grazed, baled for greenfeed or cut for silage with no penalty on future coverage. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. said Wednesday it would double the "low yield appraisal" threshold values on cereal or pulse crop acres put to feed. SCIC[...]

Ceres plans southern Saskatchewan canola crush plant

U.S. ag commodities firm Ceres Global Ag, which in recent years has built up a Prairie grain and oilseed origination hub near the North Dakota border in southeastern Saskatchewan, now plans to crush canola there also. The Minneapolis company said Tuesday it plans to spend US$350 million to build an integrated crush plant with capacity[...]


Manitoba's education tax phase-out begins

Manitoba's latest budget follows through on a move the government telegraphed in last fall's throne speech, by starting a phased removal of education tax on farm and residential properties. Finance Minister Scott Fielding's budget, released Wednesday, calls for about $248 million in education tax rebates in 2021 alone for about 658,000 property owners. Owners of[...]

Degelman to make heavy harrows for Deere

Major U.S. farm equipment manufacturer John Deere Co. has launched a new line of heavy harrows — and is going to Saskatchewan to get them. Regina equipment maker Degelman Industries announced Tuesday it has reached an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) agreement to provide Deere with a line of three heavy harrow models, the HH50, HH70[...]


Olymel restarting hog slaughter at Red Deer

Meat packer Olymel plans to restart slaughter operations Thursday at one of Canada's largest hog plants following a major outbreak of COVID-19 among employees. Olymel, an arm of Sollio Co-operative, said late Wednesday it had recalled "employees that are needed to ensure that the gradual restarting of operations goes smoothly" at its Red Deer, Alta.[...]

Group 27 herbicide resistance arrives in Canada

A persistent and fiercely competitive weed that has developed resistance to several herbicide groups since its arrival in Canada is now the first in the country to fight off a Group 27 product. Quebec's Reseau d'avertissement phytosanitaire (RAP) last Friday reported a patch of waterhemp with resistance to mesotrione herbicide in the Haut-Richelieu municipality, in[...]


Four-way Seeds Canada merger approved

A merger of four Canadian seed industry organizations has been cleared to proceed without its fifth partner. Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) have voted in favour of amalgamation, the groups announced Wednesday. An inaugural board[...]

B.C. ag minister, critic expected to win re-election

British Columbia's incumbent agriculture minister and opposition ag critic both appear set to head back to the provincial legislature as the New Democrats are projected to end three years of tentative minority governing. John Horgan's NDP, which in 2017 overturned a minority Liberal government with the help of the Green Party, was projected Saturday evening[...]