Over two dozen sheep that vanished from a scrapie-quarantined eastern Ontario farm for about two months have all tested negative for the brain-wasting disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday confirmed it had recovered, euthanized and tested 26 of the 31 adult sheep that went missing in early April from Linda Montana Jones’ quarantined […] Read more
Recovered Ontario sheep were scrapie-negative
CWB lines up handling deals with Viterra, others
Canada’s biggest grain handler and five other companies have now committed to move Prairie grain on behalf of CWB. Viterra on Thursday announced a new agreement to accept deliveries of grain that farmers commit to CWB contracts at all its locations across Western Canada. The agreement also includes port handling services, the Regina company said. […] Read more
Canada asked to address ‘reality’ of food insecurity
A United Nations expert sees Canada’s "export-led" agricultural and trade policies hampering the farming sector’s ability to move to "sustainable and decentralized" food systems. Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food, wrapped up his official visit to Canada on Wednesday with a statement that credits Canadian farmers for their support […] Read more
Dairy co-ops to keep making Yoplait for Canada
The dairy farmer co-operatives now making Yoplait for the Canadian market will do so for at least six more years but will also launch their own new yogurt and dairy goods line this summer. A custom processing agreement announced Tuesday between Ultima Foods and the Canadian arm of the Yoplait brands’ majority owner, U.S. food […] Read more
Barnmates of missing Ont. sheep negative for scrapie
A quarantined southeastern Ontario farm where 31 sheep vanished last month, just before they were to be destroyed and tested for scrapie, is now down by nine more sheep, all scrapie-negative. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed this week that it took nine sheep from Linda Montana Jones’ farm last weekend, and that the nine […] Read more
Providence Grain buys western Sask. elevator
An Alberta farmer-owned grain handler has expanded its holdings into western Saskatchewan by buying an elevator it already operated on local farmers’ behalf. Providence Grain Group on Tuesday announced it has taken up 97.3 per cent of the shares in Meridian Grain Corp. for purchase through a share swap with that company’s stakeholders. The deal […] Read more
Shell scrubs plans for Man. straw ethanol plant
Fuel company Shell Canada "will not pursue" its plans for a straw-based ethanol plant in southern Manitoba. Monday’s announcement from Shell was its first formal acknowledgement that it in fact had plans for such a project, though company spokesmen had openly confirmed its interest in the region through other media outlets late last year. Shell’s […] Read more
Grain traffic backed to take Hudson Bay route
The move to deregulate nearly the only user of the Hudson Bay port of Churchill, Man. will come with per-tonne incentives for shippers who continue to ship grain on that route. Speaking Friday in Tisdale, Sask. to the annual meeting of the Hudson Bay Route Association, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz formally launched a five-year, $25 […] Read more
B.C. special crops firm buys Sask. processing plants
A new British Columbia special crops marketing firm has bought a foothold in the special crops and pulse processing business in western Saskatchewan. ILTA Grain, formed in Surrey by former managers of specialty crop export firm Finora, announced Friday it’s bought four handling and processing plants owned by Parkland Grain/Pulse of North Battleford, Sask., for […] Read more
Outgoing Man. cattlemen’s chief Major Jay Fox, 32
Funeral services are to be held Wednesday at Eddystone, Man. for one of Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers and a former president of Manitoba Beef Producers. Major Jay Fox died Friday in Winnipeg from injuries he suffered after being pinned Thursday evening by a tractor’s front-end loader bucket on his farm at Eddystone, about 75 km […] Read more