Rainfall across much of farming Manitoba over the long weekend held up harvest progress on a relatively small remainder of its crops, the provincial agriculture department reported today. Rain was welcome after a week of largely warm and dry conditions in most areas where farmers have seeded winter wheat and fall rye. However, the wet […] Read more
Rain stalls last of Man. harvest
N.B. cranberry facility opens
Atlantic Mist Cranberries has officially opened its $1.1 million processing facility at Richibucto-Village to clean, sort and grade cranberries for growers in the region. The receiving plant, which also includes new concrete receiving ponds, was built with about $406,000 in provincial funds, over $383,000 through the federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and over $346,000 from […] Read more
Man. beef levy to back Natural Prairie plant
The Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council announced today that its first investment will be up to $1.2 million for Natural Prairie Beef, a marketing and processing project to be based at Neepawa, Man. The company, which was founded in 2004 and so far includes about 110 shareholders, plans to use the money to expand its consortium […] Read more
U.S. politicians push to block “Rule 2” for cattle
In what some observers call a long-shot measure to stop older Canadian cattle from being exported to the U.S., lawmakers have launched “resolutions of disapproval” in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. U.S. agriculture officials on Sept. 18 published what Canadian cattle organizations have called “Rule 2,” to take effect Nov. 19, allowing […] Read more
Hudson Bay track, port get $68M pledge
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer today dropped into the Hudson Bay port town of Churchill, Man., each bearing $24 million for upgrades to its deep-water Arctic port and the rail line connecting it to the Prairie grain belt. Hudson Bay Railway Co., which operates the port and grain terminal and the […] Read more
Quebec wraps up public hearings on farming
Quebec’s Commission on the future of agriculture and agri-food in the province has wrapped up over a year of hearings across the province, the government announced today. Now comes the next big step: compiling all they’ve heard into recommendations for the provincial government in a report due in January. Since it was called to order […] Read more
Alta. banks can lease farm equipment
Amendments to Alberta’s Farm Implement Act now allow banks and other lenders to offer leasing options for farm equipment directly to farmers. The amendments allow for leases without having to obtain a farm implement dealer’s license. Equipment dealers and distributors will continue to provide warranty service and parts, the province said today in a release. […] Read more
USDA pans Ont. firm’s E. coli vaccine
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s review of an Ontario firm’s vaccine to reduce E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle doesn’t support a license for the product at this time, the manufacturer said today. Bioniche Life Sciences of Belleville, Ont., said it plans to submit more statistical analyses and rationale to USDA in the weeks to come, […] Read more
Alta. hog farmers propose recovery plan
Recovery for Alberta’s struggling hog farmers will involve tax-funded offsets for the “vastly inflated” cost of feed grains and a “new business relationship” with the province’s biggest packer, according to the province’s hog farmer organization. “In order to keep our largest processor (the Olymel pork plant at Red Deer) in Alberta, producers have been forced […] Read more
Man. streamlines land registration for wind farms
Manitoba plans to amend its Real Property Act to make it easier for landlords of wind farm operators to sell or mortgage the wind farm’s host land. Currently, anyone doing a title search on land that hosts wind turbines must review not only the owner’s interest, but all the registered interests affecting the wind farm, […] Read more
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