Reuters — Restaurant Brands International said on Wednesday it plans to expand all three of its brands to more than 40,000 restaurants globally, a 54 per cent jump, over the next decade. Big fast food chains, including McDonald’s and KFC owner Yum Brands, have been aggressively expanding their international operations to counter slowing growth in […] Read more
Restaurant Brands to boost outlets by 54 per cent within 10 years
P.E.I. dairyman named provincial ag and land minister
A Prince Edward Island dairy farmer who unseated the province’s incumbent premier on election night is the new provincial minister for agriculture and land, and for justice and public safety. Bloyce Thompson, the new Progressive Conservative MLA for the district of Stanhope-Marshfield, was sworn in Thursday as a member of incoming Premier Dennis King’s nine-member […] Read more
The time is right for small-scale local food processing
Food processing could be the real ‘Alberta Advantage’
Reading Time: 6 minutes Alberta’s new premier has declared the province “open for business” — and investing in food processing might just be the right place to start. “There are a ton of opportunities for us to capitalize on our ‘Alberta Advantage’ to make high-quality food products at a reasonable cost,” said Sanford Gleddie, vice-president of agriculture and business […] Read more
McCain Foods buys stake in Brazilian potato processor Serya
Sao Paulo | Reuters — McCain Foods, the world’s largest producer of frozen fries, has agreed to buy 70 per cent of Brazilian firm Serya for an undisclosed amount, in a deal that will allow the Canadian company to expand its footprint in Latin America’s largest market. The remaining shares of Serya are held by […] Read more
Climate change has U.S. fund managers adjusting agriculture investments
New York | Reuters — After historic floods devastated Midwestern agricultural states this spring, some fund managers are evaluating how climate change will affect the long-term value of companies that make or sell products ranging from tractors to fertilizer. The issue is not simply the unpredictability of weather. Instead, fund managers say, they are struggling […] Read more
Precision agriculture means less is more for irrigators
Technology has boosted yields while cutting both water use and inputs, says University of Lethbridge survey
Reading Time: 3 minutes Very few studies have examined precision agriculture in Canada, but a new one from University of Lethbridge researchers has put some numbers on the benefits. And they’re big — both in terms of reducing inputs and in boosting yields. Last fall, economists Lorraine Nicol and Chris Nicol surveyed irrigators in the Taber Irrigation District and […] Read more
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 […] Read more
Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more
Crop sector eyes code of practice to showcase stewardship credentials
The initiative has widespread support among farm groups and industry
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s early days, but work has begun on developing a code of practice for field crops — a move aimed at reassuring consumers that producers are using sustainable methods to grow food. “It’s basically on the idea level — we’ve done a little bit of work on what it could potentially look like, but it’s […] Read more
Seeking options for wireworm control
Crop rotation and biological methods are being studied for managing the persistent pest
Reading Time: 4 minutes No available insecticides can kill them and the one that can at least slow them down may be phased out. But biological control may have promise for managing wireworms, says an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist who has been researching the pest species. “They especially love cereal crops and food crops like carrots and potatoes […] Read more
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