The meat packing and ag input retail arms of Quebec’s La Coop federee are about to take a much longer reach in their home province. The agrifood co-operative announced Tuesday its Olymel and Sollio Agriculture businesses have an agreement in place to buy the hog breeding, pork slaughter and packing, grain sourcing and feed milling […] Read more
Olymel, Sollio to take up F. Menard pork, feed businesses
Manitoba to open up Crown lands for grazing, haying
Some Manitoba Crown lands not generally used for grazing or haying will be made available for temporary lease to producers this summer and fall. Citing “dry conditions in parts of the province,” the Manitoba government announced Monday that livestock producers “will temporarily be allowed to cut hay and allow animals to graze on Crown land […] Read more
Manitoba grain firm Delmar Commodities on the block
Delmar Commodities is set to be sold to Ceres Global Ag, an integrated commodity group with operations throughout North America. The Winkler, Man. grain, oilseed and processing firm was founded by Martin Harder in 1995 from castoff elevators during the grain sector’s consolidation push at the time. Harder left the firm in 2010, selling his […] Read more
PigTrace tag price going up
Hog producers will have to pay more for traceability in the near future. Canada’s PigTrace program will be raising ear tag prices as of Aug. 1. Prices will go up 20 cents for every small ear tag and 35 cents for every large ear tag, a release from the Manitoba Pork Council said. The Manitoba […] Read more
Alberta extends deadline again for farm trucker training
Alberta farmers who want the Class 1 license needed to drive commercial-scale tractor trailers but haven’t yet met the new training requirements can now apply for another extension to do so. The provincial transportation department on Friday announced further extensions are now available for farmers and farm workers seeking Class 1 licenses and for school […] Read more
Former Ontario Tory ag critic returns to file as assistant
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has added a second veteran MPP to assist Ag Minister Ernie Hardeman with the agriculture, food and rural affairs portfolio. Ford on Wednesday named Toby Barrett as parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, with responsibility for agriculture and food. Randy Pettapiece, who since June last year […] Read more
Rookie U.S. House Democrats call for COOL revival
Several new members of the U.S. House of Representatives who’ve pressed for stronger language on labour and environmental standards in the revised North American free trade deal now also want it to include country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on meat. A letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, dated Tuesday and signed by 27 freshman House Democrats, […] Read more
Supercluster backs oilseed protein joint venture
A project to extract new high-protein ingredients from canola, hemp and other such crops for use in the food, feed and aquaculture markets will be the first to get funding from Canada’s plant protein supercluster. Protein Industries Canada (PIC), set up last year as one of five federally-backed research and innovation superclusters, announced Wednesday it […] Read more
P.E.I. to manage deadstock removal
Prince Edward Island’s latest provincial operating budget calls for its agriculture and land department to directly manage removal of deadstock for dairy and beef cattle producers. Finance Minister Darlene Compton’s 2019-20 operating budget, presented Tuesday, said the province will take over management of the deadstock contract “to reduce the administrative burden placed on the dairy […] Read more
Pizza Pizza steps into plant-based proteins
A Canadian pizza chain offering up vegan cheese and vegan crust options is now adding plant-based sausage substitutes to its menu. Toronto-based Pizza Pizza on Monday launched its Super Plant Pizza, billed as “the first plant-based protein topping recipe available on the menu.” The company said it partnered with Yves Veggie Cuisine and Greenleaf Foods’ […] Read more
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