B.C. biofuel maker BioStreet Canada says it’s been granted the provincial environmental permit it needs to move ahead on its planned biodiesel crusher and refinery at Vegreville, Alta. Company president Darrell Michaels described the province’s approval in a release Wednesday as a “significant milestone” for the $210 million project, dubbed Vegreville Energy. BioStreet bills its
Planned biodiesel crusher gets needed Alta. permit
Ag Minister Blocks Ontario Pork Ruling For Review
Ontario’s agriculture minister has intervened against a provincial tribunal’s ruling that allowed hog farmers a “negative option” to sell hogs through a single marketing desk. Provincial legislation gives Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell the authority to “confirm, vary or rescind” a decision made by her ministry’s appeal tribunal or send it back for a new hearing,
Bt Corn Growers Must Comply
Canada’s corn growers are “slipping significantly” in following the requirements for a non-Bt refuge when planting Bt corn, a pest management stakeholders’ group says. The Canadian Corn Pest Coalition, which includes academics, extension and research staff, regulators, corn growers’ associations and the seed industry, warned last week that refuge compliance dropped to 61 per cent
Ontario Tribunal Reinstates Single Desk — Sort Of
“Each party’s presentation was based on its own particular goals rather than an effective structure for the industry.” – FRANCIS HANDY An appeal tribunal has overturned an order ending Ontario Pork’s mandatory single desk for hog marketing – but is also telling farmers they don’t have to use it. The ruling Feb. 16 by the
BSE class actions seek merger into one
Lawyers behind the two remaining class-action suits pitting about 135,000 Canadian cattle producers against Ottawa over losses due to BSE will go to court in April to ask for one last merger. Cameron Pallett, a Toronto lawyer for Ontario producer Bill Sauer, said Wednesday that counsel for cattleman Donald Berneche of St-Gabriel de Brandon, Que.
Alta. to cover inspections for cross-border grazing
Alberta cattle producers who temporarily move animals to pastures in Saskatchewan or British Columbia this spring or summer won’t need to pay inspection fees on the way out. The provincial agriculture and rural development department (AARD) said Wednesday it will provide a $25,000 grant this year to Livestock Identification Services (LIS) to cover the costs
New Rules For Cattle, Sheep And Goat Imports
New federal rules will more easily allow healthy breeding cattle to enter Canada from the U. S. if one or some of their herdmates test positive for anaplasmosis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has revised its import rules to bring the handling of “non-negative” U. S. animals more in line with the regulations that govern
Editors’ Picks: USDA scraps national animal ID
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially dumped its plans for a national animal identification system (NAIS) more than five years and over US$120 million in the making. U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday announced a “new framework” for animal traceability, to be administered instead by individual states and Tribal Nations, and to apply
Taiwan law a setback for Canadian beef access
Efforts to open Taiwan’s ports to a wider range of Canadian beef have hit a substantial snag, as that country’s legislature moves to impose new bans of beef from countries known to have BSE. The Taiwanese legislature announced Tuesday morning that it will amend that country’s Food Sanitation Act to ban imports of all ground
Editors’ Picks: Agco plans “reduction” of brands
A farm equipment giant built on accumulation of product lines worldwide has announced a new corporate strategy expected to lead to “reduction” of many of the company’s brands. In a release Friday, the North American Equipment Dealers Association said it was alerted last week to “major brand changes” within Agco, including the phase-out of the
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