Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) will allow continued registration of the Group 4 herbicide 2,4-D with only minor changes to the chemical’s label. The agency had taken on a long-term re-evaluation of the product — the use of which on Canadian farms dates back to 1946 — and released its decision on Friday, […] Read more
2,4-D passes PMRA re-evaluation
Former FCC CEO joins Rabo AgriFinance
Former Farm Credit Canada CEO John Ryan has been named CEO of Rabobank International’s U.S. ag lending arm. Ryan will assume the post of president and CEO of Rabo AgriFinance on Oct. 1, replacing Rick Henderson, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year. Ryan was CEO of FCC from 1997 until his term […] Read more
Premium Brands CEO Fred Knoedler, 62
Fred Knoedler, who as CEO of what’s now Premium Brands oversaw the company’s move out of meat packing and into specialty foods, died last week of cancer in White Rock, B.C. Knoedler, whose profile at BusinessWeek magazine’s website listed his age as 62, had worked for Vancouver-based Premium Brands Income Fund and its predecessor companies […] Read more
Paterson to expand Killarney, Man. elevator
Paterson GlobalFoods plans to boost the handling and rail capacity of its inland terminal at Killarney, Man., by September. The Winnipeg company’s Paterson Grain arm plans to add 18,000 tonnes of storage capacity at the inland-export terminal, about 100 km south of Brandon, and extend its rail siding to accommodate 112 rail cars. The 100-year-old […] Read more
Sask. cuts markup for brew pub beers
Brew pub operators in Saskatchewan have caught a break on the markup they pay to the province on their beer sales. The provincial government on Friday said it will cut its markup from $1.13 to 57 cents per litre for beer sold in kegs and from $1.65 to 90 cents for beer sold in bottles. […] Read more
N.B. offers funding for maple syrup producers
New Brunswick’s maple syrup producers can expect $300,000 in total provincial funding this year for their operations, the province announced Friday. The funding, to flow through the provincial Regional Development Corporation’s Total Development Fund, is to help support proper development of maple sugar stands, prevent damage to tubing collection systems, and increase productivity by removing […] Read more
N.S. backs nutraceutical start-up
Atlantic New Technology Development’s plans for a nutraceutical processing plant in Truro using local fruit crops and dairy products will get some provincial backing. The Nova Scotia government on Friday pledged a payroll rebate of up to $133,845 over five years to help the company create up to 20 jobs at its plant. The funding […] Read more
Ontario orchard rehab plan moves ahead
Ontario orchard and vineyard owners who want to pull up old trees and vines to make room for better varieties or new crops now have details on a federal/provincial support plan. The orchards and vineyards transition program (OVTP), first announced in February, will cover tree and vine removal costs and help growers draft new strategic […] Read more
B.C. offers inspections for ag worker vehicles
British Columbia’s transportation ministry will offer voluntary inspections of farm labour vehicles today until 5 p.m. at Delta. “Now that another farming season is underway, we want to ensure that vehicles carrying farm workers are in good operating condition,” Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said in a release Thursday. “Public safety is our top priority, and […] Read more
Safflower-based shrimp drug hits snag
A Calgary company developing a safflower-based feed additive for farmed shrimp may rethink its plans now that a partner has stepped back from the project. SemBioSys Genetics, which has previously modified its safflower plant varieties to produce insulin and a cardiovascular drug (both still in development) reported Friday that Aqua Bounty Technologies, its joint development […] Read more
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