Australia May Abolish Remaining Wheat Export Rules

Australia’s wheat-marketi ng regulations should be abolished by September next year, the country’s Productivity Commission said in a draft report released March 22. It said the A$13.9-billion ($12.7-billion) industry, the world’s fourth-largest exporter of the grain, had proved adaptable following the end of a single-desk marketing system for bulk wheat since mid-2008. “The commission considers

Viterra Buys North Dakota Pasta Processor

Viterra Inc. said March 10 it planned to acquire Dakota Growers Pasta Co., based in Carrington, North Dakota. It did not provide an acquisition price, but it said that Dakota Growers has an enterprise value of US$240 million. Dakota Growers is one of the largest durum mills in North America and the third-largest producer of


Viterra Posts Small Loss On Soft Commodity Prices

Viterra Inc. posted a small fourth-quarter loss Jan. 21 as the top Canadian grain handler grappled with weak fertilizer margins and declining commodity prices, dashing expectations of a modest profit. For the three months ended Oct. 31, Viterra posted a loss of $920,000, or nil per share, compared with net income of $46.8 million, or

Viterra Completes ABB Sale

Canadian grain handler Viterra Inc. said on Sept. 21 it will pay shareholders of ABB Grain A$751.7 million (US$652.5 million) in cash, plus shares in Viterra, to complete its takeover of the Australian company. ABB shareholders had until Sept. 19 to choose among options weighted toward Viterra shares or cash. Nearly 62 per cent of


Viterra To Buy Manitoba Canola Crusher

The “cold-press” canola crushing plant at Ste. Agathe is becoming the latest acquisition for Canada’s largest grain company. Viterra announced Monday it will buy the Associated Proteins plant in the industrial park on the community’s west side for $64 million plus “working capital.” Pending approval from the federal Competition Bureau, the company said it expects

Viterra, ABB Grain Come To Terms

“If (Viterra) did something else big after this, before this got some traction, then we think they might… bite off more than they can chew.” – ANIL PASSI OF CREDIT RATI NG AGENCY DBRS Canada’s top grain handler has agreed to buy Australia’s ABB Grain in a US$1.2 billion share-and-cash deal, giving Viterra better access


Arborg Trying To Save Its Elevator

“Anybody I’ve talked to is very upset (about the prospect of losing the elevator). In fact, the words are as harsh as ‘it’s criminal.’” – BILL URUSKI Scott Sigvaldason isn’t prepared to let Arborg’s grain elevator be destroyed without a fight. The Arborg-area grain farmer and president of Wedge Farms Nutrition, an oat-processing firm, says

Viterra Joins Winter Wheat Campaign

A program aiming for 100,000 new acres of winter cereals seeded across Western Canada this fall now has Viterra on board as its “premier delivery partner.” Ducks Unlimited and Bayer CropScience in mid-January launched “Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action,” a program to increase winter cereals acres across North America, to which Bayer pledged $20 million


Bridging The Disconnect Between Farm And City

“I think it’s important to state things that are valuable.” – BRIAN OLESON, U OF M There was the usual praise from the dignitaries assembled at the base of the grand staircase in the Manitoba legislature. Agriculture is a pillar of the Manitoba economy. Agri-food processing produces over $3 billion in goods and services annually.

Ruling Unionizes AU Workers In Sask.

If they perform the same kinds of duties as Viterra’s unionized employees, former Agricore United (AU) workers at grain handler Viterra’s Saskatchewan elevators or Regina head office are now also union members. The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) made an interim ruling to that effect March 10 as it plans a major bargaining unit review