Reuters — The Canadian Competition Bureau said on Thursday it was investigating certain agriculture companies for alleged anticompetitive practices over allegations of trying to block an online farm-supply startup from doing business in Western Canada. The regulator did not provide details on specific companies involved in the probe, but documents filed on Jan. 30 in […] Read more

Competition Bureau probing big ag chem companies
Probe to look at firms' response to FBN's arrival in Canada

Carbon tax an eight per cent hit on net income, APAS says
The average Saskatchewan farmer can expect to lose about eight per cent of his or her annual net farm income to the federal carbon tax to 2020 — and 12 per cent in 2022, the province’s general ag group says. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan on Monday released new estimates on the financial impacts […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: More acres sought for 2020
MarketsFarm — Planting intentions for red and green lentils and other pulses have been looking good for 2020 — but that might change somewhat because prices have slipped a little, said Marcos Mosnaim of Globeways Canada in Mississauga. Discussing pulse crops at a farm show last month in Saskatoon, Mosnaim said he got the strong […] Read more

Virus fears weigh on global shipping sector
MarketsFarm — Global shipping rates continue to decline, hitting record lows in some cases, amid declining demand and concerns over the coronavirus outbreak in China. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange, provides an assessment of the price of moving major raw materials by sea. The BDI has fallen for 13 […] Read more

P+H to challenge regulators’ request for elevator sale
Case to be heard sometime at later end of fall
Grain firm Parrish and Heimbecker aims to keep its now-expanded Prairie elevator network intact against a proposed order from federal antitrust regulators. Winnipeg-based, privately-held P+H in September announced a deal to buy all 10 of the primary Prairie grain elevators built by agrifood giant Louis Dreyfus Co. between 1998 and 2003. The two companies have […] Read more

Expect to hear a lot more about fake meat, eco-foods, and urban consumers
It’s a fast-changing world but Prairie farmers are in a good spot, says food trend guru
Reading Time: 3 minutes More focus on the environment, more plant-based meat alternatives and more scrutiny of food production. That’s what lies in the crystal ball of David Hughes, an international speaker on global food industry trends. At a recent event hosted by the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta, Hughes laid out a number of points that could be […] Read more

Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks
Reuters — As Bayer tries to settle U.S. lawsuits claiming that its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, the company is considering a proposal that would bar plaintiffs’ lawyers involved in the litigation from advertising for new clients, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bayer has said it is engaged in mediation to resolve the […] Read more

CN conductors approve post-strike deal
Canadian National Railway’s conductors and yard workers have voted for at least another two and a half years of labour peace with the company. The affected employees, members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, voted 91.3 per cent to ratify a three-year contract with CN, retroactive to last July 23, the union said in a […] Read more

Pulse Canada looking to build data inventory for industry
MarketsFarm — Pulse Canada has undertaken a survey of pea and lentil growers to gauge the sector’s environmental footprint and to provide data for a public repository. The survey is a joint project with Alberta Pulse Growers, SaskPulse and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. The survey is a life cycle assessment of pea and lentil […] Read more

U.S. EPA reaffirms glyphosate does not cause cancer
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it finished a regulatory review that found glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, is not a carcinogen. The conclusion reaffirms the agency’s stance on glyphosate, the key ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup, despite judgments by U.S. juries that have found […] Read more