Vancouver farm management software development firm Farm At Hand has become an arm of one of the Big Five in Canada’s communication services sector. Farm At Hand, which makes the cloud-based Crop Planner software suite for farmers and the Farm At Hand Agronomy suite for agronomists, announced Tuesday it has been wholly acquired by Telus […] Read more

Telus buys Farm At Hand

Grain growers get extension on 2018 APP repayment
Grain, oilseed and pulse crop growers who took out cash advances from the Advance Payments Program for the 2018-19 crop year will get an extra six months to repay, effective Friday. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced a six-month stay of default for APP advances on grains, oilseeds and pulses, to March 31, […] Read more

Input Capital cuts costs as delayed sales lift Q3 profit
A hostile canola export market has left “commodity streaming” firm Input Capital paring back its staff count and halting its sales and marketing efforts. The publicly traded Regina company on Tuesday booked adjusted net income of $1.06 million on $4.95 million in adjusted total revenue for the quarter ending June 30, up from about $249,000 […] Read more

Subway to test-market plant-based ‘meatball’ subs
The world’s biggest fast food chain by number of outlets plans to test-market plant-based meat substitute at some of its Canadian and U.S. restaurants starting next month. Subway on Wednesday announced a “culinary innovation partnership” with Los Angeles-based processor Beyond Meat, beginning with a “Beyond Meatball Marinara” submarine sandwich to be tested at 685 Canadian […] Read more

Calgary to step out of Federated Co-op grocery system
Calgary Co-op’s grocery business plans to get all its goods from suppliers other than Federated Co-operatives (FCL) starting in April next year. Saskatoon-based FCL said Thursday it had received notice from Calgary Co-operative Association that it would “discontinue the procurement of all products for their grocery stores from FCL” at that time. The Saskatoon StarPhoenix […] Read more

Couche-Tard takes stake in cannabis retailer
One of Canada’s biggest convenience store operators is moving ahead on its stated goal of getting into the retail cannabis business. Edmonton-based cannabis retailer Fire + Flower announced Wednesday it has issued a $25.99 million debenture, convertible to a 9.9 per cent ownership stake, to Quebec’s Alimentation Couche-Tard. The Laval-based firm said its planned investment […] Read more

Cargill not taking glufosinate-desiccated lentils
One of the world’s biggest grain companies has decided not to chance accepting Canadian lentils that were desiccated with a well known herbicide. Cargill announced Friday it will now have a “no tolerance” restriction on glufosinate ammonia in its grain delivery terms for lentils, including lentils that have had the Group 10 herbicide applied in […] Read more

Beef sector sees place in UN report’s lower-emission vision
While a new United Nations report on climate change and land calls for “rebalancing diets,” the policy paths it seeks are a good fit for beef cattle ranching as Canadians know it, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says. Responding Thursday to the report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the CCA said Canada’s […] Read more

ILTA Grain escrow fund set up for unpaid farmers
Farmers who delivered to Prairie pulse and grain processor ILTA Grain but didn’t get paid before the company went into creditor protection are being asked to “immediately” get in touch with the Canadian Grain Commission. The CGC late Wednesday announced it has reached an agreement with the company’s court-appointed monitor for a new escrow account, […] Read more

Sylvite set to buy Thompsons agronomy business
Ontario grain and bean handler Thompsons Ltd. is set to sell its crop agronomy business to a retail business partner in that province. U.S. grain firm The Andersons, the owner of Thompsons since January, announced Tuesday in its second-quarter report it plans to sell Thompsons’ “agronomy assets” to Burlington, Ont.-based Sylvite Holdings. Financial terms of […] Read more