Seeking to calm what one major farm leader has called an “explosive” situation, Quebec Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard today named longtime provincial civil servant Guy Coulombe as his representative for talks with stakeholders in the province’s pork industry. Coulombe is to lead the discussions between the industry’s principal players and file a report for Lessard […] Read more
Quebec seeks talks with pork sector
Wet weather slows Man. harvest
Harvest resumed in western and northern areas of Manitoba last weekend after delays caused by cool, wet weather the previous week, the provincial agriculture department reported Monday. Cereal and oilseed harvests were complete or nearly complete in the central region (around Portage la Prairie and points south), east of the Red River and in the […] Read more
Nova Scotia maps wind
Landowners in Nova Scotia can soon go online to assess their property’s potential to host wind turbines. Researchers at l’Universite de Moncton and Nova Scotia Community College have set up a wind atlas for Nova Scotia, illustrating how much wind is available in the province and where to find it. The new atlas is expected […] Read more
Sask. harvest two-thirds done
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food reported yesterday that the province’s 2007 crop is 66 per cent harvested and northern and central regions will need warm, dry weather to advance further. Harvested acres are up from 56 per cent the previous week and still ahead of the five-year (2002-06) average of 53 per cent, the province noted. […] Read more
Sask. designates primary weight road system
In a bid to boost rural community development, Saskatchewan has mapped out what it describes as a “more efficient, integrated” network of municipal roads that are — or will be — maintained to handle primary-level vehicle weights. The “Clearing the Path” (CTP) primary weight corridor network, developed by the province, the CTP transportation committee, the […] Read more
CN level-of-service case goes to mediator
The Canadian Wheat Board and five small Prairie grain handling companies will take their level-of-service complaint against Canadian National (CN) into mediation this week, the CWB announced today. The shippers had filed a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency earlier this month, indicating they were willing to seek a mediated solution rather than enter the […] Read more
Churchill loads for first Canadian customer
An Arctic supply ship is being loaded today at Churchill, Man., with the port’s first-ever shipment of Prairie grain destined for a Canadian buyer, the Canadian Wheat Board said today. The Kathryn Spirit, owned by Kivalliq Marine Supply of Churchill, hauled mobile homes, snowmobiles and other goods north from Montreal to Churchill for communities in […] Read more
N.B. funds farmland clearing work
New Brunswick’s provincial government will help fund farmers’ costs to improve or clear land on their farms to boost its productivity. The province has set aside $200,000 initially for the new Agri-Land Development Program, which will pay up to 35 per cent of a farmer’s eligible expenses, up to $7,500 per applicant, for land clearing, […] Read more
Syngenta Seeds names new chief
Guelph-based Syngenta Seeds Canada has named Dave Sippell, the former CEO of Winnipeg’s Canterra Seeds, as its new president, replacing Bob Pryce. Sippell was general manager of Proven Seed, the certified seed wing of what was then United Grain Growers (now part of Viterra), before joining Canterra. He also previously worked for Pioneer Hi-Bred and […] Read more
Russian firm makes new bid for Buhler
A Russian combine manufacturer has reworked its bid to buy a majority stake in farm implement maker Buhler Industries, moving to an all-cash offer. Combine Factory Rostselmash had raised eyebrows among market analysts with its previous bid this summer, in which it offered to buy 51 per cent of the publicly traded Winnipeg company (BUI: […] Read more
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