Leverkusen, Germany | Reuters –– Bayer’s US$63 billion purchase of seed and chemical firm Monsanto made its mark on the German company’s fourth quarter earnings on Wednesday, lifting profit and boding well for the peak season of its enlarged agriculture business. However, mounting litigation risks related to Monsanto still cast a pall over an adjusted […] Read more
Bayer reaps profit lift from Monsanto
Abrupt mid-March shift into spring predicted
Winter conditions are expected to remain the norm across the Canadian Prairies through the middle of March, when a sudden pattern change brings an abrupt start to spring, according to the latest seasonal forecast from The Weather Network. The quick move from cold to warm conditions raises the risk of flooding in areas with a […] Read more
Make a difference with good crop rotation
Benefits include lower disease control and fertilizer costs
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the best tools to improve the bottom line, reduce future grief, and lower the risks of pests, disease and weeds is by using a diverse crop rotation. “A good crop rotation is one where there is an adequate variety of crops grown so that any one type of crop is grown only once […] Read more
U.S. agency sees high spring flood risk for Red River
As most of Western Canada continues to brace for frigid temperatures, some in southern Manitoba are already preparing for a messy spring. The U.S. National Weather Service on Thursday reported the Red River is in danger of significant flooding due to rapid snowmelt in March. Its report stated the risk for significant snowmelt flooding is […] Read more
Richardson buys Peace-region input retailer
Grain handler Richardson Pioneer has moved to shore up its presence in northern Alberta’s crop input market with a deal for a Peace-region dealership. Winnipeg-based Richardson announced Wednesday it has bought Agland Seed and Chemical at La Crete, Alta., about 320 km north of Peace River. The deal, which closed Tuesday, will see all of […] Read more
Buhler cutting overhead to boost margins
Tractor and farm equipment maker Buhler Industries has added financing from its majority owner to a regime of cost cuts in a bid to lift its quarterly results out of the red. Citing “depressed” sales due to “weak” commodity prices, the Winnipeg company on Thursday booked a net loss of $4.4 million on $57.3 million […] Read more
Ford recalls 1.48 million pickups over transmissions
Washington | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. said on Wednesday it was recalling about 1.48 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America due to a potential transmission downshift issue that could increase the risk of a crash. Ford said select 2011-2013 model year trucks with six-speed automatic transmission could experience an unintended downshift into first […] Read more
Bankrupt oil firms must clean up inactive wells, Supreme Court rules
Ottawa/Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that bankrupt oil companies must clean up inactive wells, overturning lower court decisions that prioritized paying creditors and potentially raising the risks of investment in the industry. The 5-2 ruling means that the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), which had appealed the earlier court decisions, can […] Read more
Livestock tax deferral map expands again for 2018
Some northern and southwestern Ontario producers who had to sell breeding livestock due to drought in the 2018 tax year can now defer chunks of the income from those sales when filing their income taxes. The federal government on Wednesday rolled out its final list and map of designated regions for 2018 under its livestock […] Read more
Unusual third assessment run for livestock tax deferrals
In an unusual move, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has undertaken a third assessment for the federal livestock tax deferral. “Federal officials are currently finalizing the analysis to identify whether any additional regions have met the criteria for the livestock tax deferral,” AAFC spokesperson James Watson said. Under the deferral plan, cattle producers affected by severe […] Read more
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