Man. pork council “pauses” research funding

The Manitoba Pork Council plans a “temporary pause” on all of its research funding in light of what it called a “permanent moratorium” on the province’s hog industry. The council’s announcement Thursday follows the provincial government’s indefinite moratorium, put in place March 3, on new or expanding hog operations in the province’s southeastern “hog alley” […] Read more

Ont. to flow communities funding toward farms

The Ontario government plans to stream at least some of the $358 million it will receive from the federal Community Development Trust toward agriculture programs. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed Ontario’s allocation from the fund in a news release Thursday. The federal government’s $1 billion Community Development Trust funds, to be […] Read more


Pioneer Hi-Bred plant to boost seed output

Pioneer Hi-Bred expects to boost its hybrid canola seed production acreage by almost 60 per cent this year through its new Lethbridge, Alta. facility. Pioneer, a DuPont subsidiary, officially opened the Lethbridge facility Thursday, saying the facility will be part of the company’s plan to lead the canola seed market by 2012. DuPont, earlier this […] Read more

Hort growers’ safety program endorsed

The national on-farm food safety program for Canada’s tree and vine fruit growers has passed a government technical review process. The Canadian Horticultural Council said Wednesday that the program it developed has been “officially endorsed” by a team of federal and provincial government experts. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency gave the program a letter of […] Read more


Canola council names corporate VP

A government relations consultant and former chief of staff to then-Canadian Wheat Board minister Charlie Mayer is the Canola Council of Canada’s new vice-president of corporate affairs. Jim Everson takes the position, based in Ottawa, effective April 1, the canola council said in a release Wednesday. Everson “will represent Canada’s $14 billion canola industry in […] Read more

Farm Progress names Viterra as top sponsor

Regina’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show will be “presented by Viterra” for its 2008 and 2009 events. The Regina grain company and the farm technology and equipment show announced a multi-year sponsorship deal Wednesday, making Viterra the “presenting sponsor” for the next two shows. “The partnership builds on longstanding relationships that were established with Viterra’s […] Read more


Viterra launches Alta. carbon credit plan

Viterra plans to offer cash or company credit to eligible Alberta farmers in exchange for their carbon credits. The Regina grain company on Wednesday officially launched its new carbon credit program, extending its offer to Alberta farmers who use reduced- or no-till cropping practices that help sink atmospheric carbon into agricultural soils, thus reducing excess […] Read more

Quebec ag receipts up in 2007: ISQ

Farm cash receipts in Quebec were up 9.3 per cent in 2007 over 2006, the provincial statistician reported Tuesday. The province’s farmers posted receipts of $6.77 billion in the last calendar year, l’Institut de la statistique du Quebec (ISQ) said. That’s up $574.9 million, about half of which comes from production and the other half […] Read more


Lentil treatment to be sold via UAP

Crown, a seed treatment for lentils and chickpeas, will be distributed exclusively by UAP Canada on the Prairies starting in this crop year. Chemtura Crop Protection, the Connecticut company that holds the registration on Crown, and UAP announced the new agreement in a release Tuesday. The fungicide is used to control lentil and chickpea diseases […] Read more

Marketing funded for dairy test kits

A new diagnostic kit to test vitamin A and D content in fortified milk and other dairy products will get almost $1 million in federal funding to help see it through the marketing phase. SciMed Technologies of Edmonton has developed VitaKit A and VitaKit D, which the company says will allow dairy processors to reliably, […] Read more