Man. green groups rip hog review

The provincial government's move Monday to halt any further development of the hog sector in much of eastern Manitoba doesn't go far enough, according to a coalition of groups advocating smaller-scale farming. In a press conference Wednesday in Winnipeg, representatives of groups including HogWatch Manitoba and Beyond Factory Farming called for the provincial government to[...]

CWB's malting barley gets China's "Green" label

China's Green Food Development Centre, which certifies foods for sustainable, "green" farming practices, has approved its "Green Food" label for Chinese beer made with Canadian malting barley. The Canadian Wheat Board has been granted "Green Food" accreditation for shipments of up to 600,000 tonnes per year of Prairie malting barley, the board announced Thursday. That's[...]


Canada's farms still largely Tory blue: poll

A new poll by Ipsos Forward Research before the Oct. 14 election puts Canadian farmers' support for the federal Conservatives at 59 per cent overall, well ahead of the pack but still down six points from 2006. The poll, conducted online from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6 with 856 members of "Producers' Perspectives: The Ipsos[...]

Farm Business Communications earns 11 at CFWF

Farm Business Communications came away with 11 national awards Saturday at the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation awards banquet in Courtenay, B.C. The Farm Business Communications division, based in Winnipeg and owned by Vancouver's Glacier Ventures International, operates this website and is publisher of Country Guide, Grainews, Canadian Cattlemen, the Manitoba Co-operator, Alberta Farmer Express and[...]


Grits pledge "regional flexibility" in ag programs

A $564 million "regional flexibility fund" for farm programming is among the promises on offer from the federal Liberals leading up to next month's election. Liberal leader Stephane Dion and members of the Liberal caucus and candidates' roster appeared Friday morning at a farm at Headingley, Man., just west of Winnipeg, to outline their plans[...]

Que. backs farm work to clear lake's algae

The Quebec government plans to put up $600,000 over three years to fund improvements on farms in the Lake Temiscouata watershed, in hopes of helping to clear the lake's blue-green algae problem. The lake, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region near the province's borders with Maine and New Brunswick, has about 100 farms on its watershed that[...]


CPR's U.S. Midwest play gets approval

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has granted Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) regulatory approval to buy control of the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corp. Calgary-based CPR, which announced the ruling in a release Tuesday, noted that the board "denied all requests for conditions other than those agreed to voluntarily by (CPR)" and that the board's[...]

Rethink yield math: Sask. crop insurance review

Yield trending and yield cushioning are among the changes recommended in a new review of Saskatchewan's provincial crop insurance program. The province hasn't yet specified what changes it will make on the basis of the review, prepared for the province by Meyers Norris Penny (MNP). But Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud said in a release Monday[...]


Jones rink keeps Monsanto brand

Manitoba's Team Jennifer Jones has signed on for a two-year extension of its sponsorship by Monsanto Canada, through to the end of April 2010. The extension, announced Monday, includes an undisclosed amount of monetary support and "performance incentives" for the curling team as well as title sponsorship, company logo placement on both on-ice and off-ice[...]

Conservatives pledge "AgriFlex"-style program

A re-elected Conservative federal government will put up $500 million over four years to work with Canada's provinces on an "agricultural flexibility" program, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Thursday. A federal/provincial flexibility program will deliver "region-specific programs that help farm families cope with the costs of production pressures, promote innovation, ensure environmental sustainability, and respond[...]