Most auction barns were in holiday mode last week, which made the market hard to define. However, comments from local buyers suggest demand is building for shorter-term replacements due to healthy feedlot margins. Small groups were on offer with limited numbers available, and there was a wide range on similar weight classes across the Prairies. […] Read more
Klassen: Demand for shortkeep feeders drives complex higher
Pattison merges Deere dealership chains
The Jim Pattison Group has consolidated its Prairie farm equipment dealerships in Saskatchewan and Manitoba under one new banner. Pattison on Tuesday announced the merger of its Maple Farm Equipment and JayDee AgTech chains, which deal mainly in John Deere farm equipment. The two chains are to be rebranded as Pattison Agriculture. Darrin Didychuk, now […] Read more
Syngenta, ChemChina submit remedy proposals to EU
Hong Kong/Beijing | Reuters — China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) and Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta have proposed remedies to the European Union’s competition watchdog to address concerns over their US$43 billion merger agreement. The European Commission’s website showed “commitments” submitted on Monday, which typically means the parties have proposed remedies such as asset […] Read more
The award is nice, but the payoff even better for rancher
The winner of ABP’s Environmental Stewardship Award grows more grass and captures more rain by working with nature
Reading Time: 3 minutes Everything changed for Tom Thompson of Winding Creek Ranch when he attended the West Central Forage Association’s AGM in 2003. That was when the Mayerthorpe-area rancher learned about grazing principles that led to him winning Alberta Beef Producers’ 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award. “Kit Pharo (an American rancher who spoke at the meeting) was the one […] Read more
Monsanto swings to profit on South American demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. seeds and agrochemicals company Monsanto, in the process of being bought by Germany’s Bayer for US$66 billion, swung to a quarterly profit, helped by higher demand from South America. Sales of soybe2an seeds and traits jumped 37 per cent as more farmers in South America sowed the company’s genetically modified […] Read more
Buhler trims net loss, expects improved sales
Strong sales of a limited-edition tractor line helped offset tighter margins and generally lower demand in fiscal 2016 for farm equipment manufacturer Buhler Industries. The Canadian company last Thursday booked a net loss of $2.7 million on $274.1 million in sales for its year ending Sept. 30, 2016, up from a $5.3 million loss on […] Read more
EU regulators delay ChemChina/Syngenta decision
Brussels | Reuters — European Union antitrust regulators have extended the deadline for a decision on ChemChina’s proposed buy of Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta by 10 working days, to April 12. Syngenta said in a statement the two companies had asked for the extension to allow “sufficient time for the discussion of remedy […] Read more
Trump leaning toward Georgia ex-governor to lead USDA
Washington | Reuters — Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s leading candidate to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a senior Trump transition team official said on Monday. Perdue, a Democrat-turned-Republican who founded a grain and fertilizer business, served on Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during his presidential campaign. The official […] Read more
CRTC makes broadband a basic service
Gatineau | Reuters — Broadband internet access will be considered a basic service in Canada, the country’s telecom regulator said Wednesday, setting a higher target for download speeds and creating a fund that could see providers paying more to help meet those goals. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said it was establishing a […] Read more
Syngenta, DuPont patent new herbicide chemistry class
The crop chemical arms of DuPont and Syngenta are working together on a new class of herbicide chemistry they’ve jointly patented and taken to the “pre-development” stage. DuPont Crop Protection and Syngenta announced Monday they’ve published a joint patent, titled “Substituted cyclic amides and their use as herbicides,” and expect to launch herbicides based on […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
