Reuters — Australia’s competition regulator on Wednesday approved a planned $1 billion takeover of the country’s largest dairy processor, Murray Goulburn Co-operative, by Canada’s Saputo. The deal, which Australia’s largest dairy processor says is key to its survival, was approved after Saputo agreed to sell a milk plant in Victoria state to address concerns from […] Read more
Australia clears Saputo’s Murray Goulburn takeover
Animal science professor Red Williams, 93
Memorial services will be held “at a later date” for renowned Prairie animal science professor Charles “Red” Williams, who died Monday at age 93 leaving a legacy of work in livestock care and ag extension. Williams, born in Regina and raised on farms in Saskatchewan and Alberta, served in the Second World War on the […] Read more
Farm numbers fall but some sectors in Alberta buck trend
Alberta lost six per cent of farms overall, according to the latest census but some sectors see gains
Reading Time: 2 minutes While the overall number of farms in Alberta declined by the same percentage as the national average in the latest census, there were differences by sector, says a provincial research analyst. The 2016 Census of Agriculture found there were just over 193,000 farms in Canada, a six per cent drop. “Alberta had over 40,600 census […] Read more
U.S. optimistic about quick NAFTA deal, Canada more downbeat
Ottawa | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday expressed optimism that talks to modify NAFTA could be wrapped up quickly, but a top Canadian official was more downbeat, saying much work remained. The U.S. wants to speed up the slow pace of negotiations on the US$1.2 trillion North American Free Trade Agreement, […] Read more
Ontario power utilities offer farm water pump rebate
Ontario farmers buying certain types of high-efficiency water pumping systems for irrigation, horticulture or stock watering could now be up for rebates. Hydro One and Niagara Peninsula Energy (NPEI) on Friday announced the AgriPump rebate program, which the two electricity utilities described as the first plan of its kind in the province. For farmer customers […] Read more
Alberta names new deputy ag minister
Alberta’s deputy provincial environment minister, a civil engineer and 28-year veteran of the Canadian Forces, has been named the province’s new top agriculture bureaucrat. Premier Rachel Notley on Tuesday put through an order in council appointing Andre Corbould as Alberta’s deputy minister of agriculture and forestry effective Wednesday, replacing Beverly Yee. Corbould, the province’s deputy […] Read more
‘Clean’ tech adoption up for federal funding
Provinces and territories can apply starting April 1 for chunks of a three-year, $25 million federal fund to support programs that encourage on-farm adoption of precision ag tools or use of renewables from ag waste. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Monday launched the fund, to flow through what’s dubbed the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Grain supply starting to dry up
CNS Canada –– As the winter ends, supply is getting tight for feed grains in Lethbridge’s feedlot alley. “We’re seeing a little bit of a pullback on prices on most commodities in anticipation for making sure everything gets out before road bans,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager at CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. The feed […] Read more
Trudeau optimistic on NAFTA as deal on autos seen possible
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday for the first time that a deal to renegotiate NAFTA was likely, amid signs negotiators may be closer to settling one of the regional trade pact’s most contentious issues. “We remain very confident that a win-win-win deal is not only possible, but likely,” Trudeau […] Read more
Community to ‘transform’ Guelph’s Kemptville ag campus
The home municipality for Ontario Agricultural College’s (OAC) former Kemptville campus is set to remake the site as an “education and community hub.” The municipality of North Grenville, which includes Kemptville, about 40 km south of Ottawa, closed a deal in December to purchase the Kemptville ag campus, with the official transfer due to take […] Read more