Growers and processors seeking federal licenses to produce and/or process cannabis in Canada will now have to have their proposed sites “fully built” before they even apply. Health Canada announced Wednesday that the change takes effect immediately, saying it would better line up the cannabis sector with the approach the department already follows for approvals
Grow facilities now required up front for new cannabis producers
Railways book higher grain freight revenue for Q1
Canada’s big two railways reported somewhat higher revenue from handling grain during their fiscal quarter ending March 31, despite both companies reporting winter weather woes. Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) on April 23 reported grain segment revenue of $380 million for the quarter, up six per cent from the year-earlier period, on about 92,800 grain carloads,
Prairie grain freight cost index adjusted upward
Corrected, May 6, 2019 and Jan. 7, 2021 — Canada’s big two railways can expect a small raise in the amount of revenue they get to keep from hauling Prairie grain in the coming crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Tuesday announced it will set the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) at 1.4371
Alberta crop input retail groups’ deal off
A proposal to bring together two groups of central Alberta crop input retailers has been called off without closing a deal. Crop Management Network (CMN) said Friday the conditional deal it announced in March to buy Performance Ag Group won’t proceed. CMN, a joint venture between an employee-owned network of retail outlets and La Coop
APP pumped up, AgriStability deadline extended against China canola ban
The federal Advance Payments Program’s loan limits and interest-free portions will be raised and the deadline for AgriStability enrolment extended in a bid to help Canadian canola growers with cash flow. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr on Wednesday announced the expansions and extensions along with plans to engage other
Alberta UCP’s trade critic named ag minister
Alberta’s new premier has tapped a not-quite-rookie MLA with experience in farming, farm policy and U.S. politics as his new minister of agriculture and forestry. Jason Kenney, sworn in Tuesday as premier, named Devin Dreeshen, the MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake since last July, to handle the ag and forestry file. Dreeshen came to the UCP’s
Report shows slower pace for rising farmland values
While lower-valued farmland more often showed a higher rate of increase, and price hikes varied from region to region, Canada’s farmland values on average have booked their slowest year-over-year rate of increase in almost a decade. That’s according to the annual Farmland Values Report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), in which the federal ag lending
P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election
Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and
Ottawa pressed to consider more options on China’s canola ban
With canola export issues still looming large, some Canadian ag industry groups want the federal government to boost its diplomatic presence on the matter. The Canola Council of Canada on Wednesday said a Canadian technical delegation “has not yet been accepted” to travel to China and address Beijing’s recent suspensions of canola imports from two
Aurora Cannabis to buy up all of processor Hempco
Edmonton cannabis company Aurora Cannabis is set to buy up the balance it doesn’t already own in hemp processing firm Hempco Food and Fiber. Aurora announced Tuesday it will pay $1.04 a share for the remaining shares of Vancouver-based Hempco, which makes and sells Planet Hemp hemp-based foods and Praise hemp-based supplements for dogs and
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