While lower-valued farmland more often showed a higher rate of increase, and price hikes varied from region to region, Canada’s farmland values on average have booked their slowest year-over-year rate of increase in almost a decade. That’s according to the annual Farmland Values Report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), in which the federal ag lending […] Read more
Report shows slower pace for rising farmland values
P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election
Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and […] Read more
Ottawa pressed to consider more options on China’s canola ban
With canola export issues still looming large, some Canadian ag industry groups want the federal government to boost its diplomatic presence on the matter. The Canola Council of Canada on Wednesday said a Canadian technical delegation “has not yet been accepted” to travel to China and address Beijing’s recent suspensions of canola imports from two […] Read more
Aurora Cannabis to buy up all of processor Hempco
Edmonton cannabis company Aurora Cannabis is set to buy up the balance it doesn’t already own in hemp processing firm Hempco Food and Fiber. Aurora announced Tuesday it will pay $1.04 a share for the remaining shares of Vancouver-based Hempco, which makes and sells Planet Hemp hemp-based foods and Praise hemp-based supplements for dogs and […] Read more
Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more
Parrish and Heimbecker to expand Hamilton flour mill, terminal
Prairie grain handler and processor Parrish and Heimbecker plans to become the single biggest user of Ontario-grown wheat with a major expansion of its newest flour mill. The privately-held Winnipeg company on Tuesday announced expansion work is now underway on both its mill and adjacent Lake Ontario harbour terminal at Hamilton. Few details were available […] Read more
Regulator rips CN’s use of freight embargoes at West Coast
Canadian National Railway has been found in breach of its service obligations on grain and other traffic by a federal regulator aiming to crack down on the company’s use of freight embargoes. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Monday released its determination on “possible freight rail service issues in the Vancouver area” last fall. The regulator […] Read more
Canada Malting to join GrainCorp’s global malting spinoff
The Australian owner of Canada’s biggest malt company plans to spin it off, along with its other worldwide malting assets, into a new stand-alone malt industry player. Sydney-based GrainCorp announced Thursday it plans to “demerge” its global malting business from its grains and edible oils business, forming two separate ASX-listed companies: MaltCo and “New GrainCorp.” […] Read more
Few herds remain in B.C. bovine TB probe
The federal investigation into an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis affecting four animals in a domestic British Columbia cattle herd has pulled back to include just seven properties. As of Monday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s probe included one herd each in B.C. and Saskatchewan and four herds in Alberta under movement controls, along with the […] Read more
Canada to set up working group for China canola push
Canola industry stakeholders and provincial officials are to join federal officials in a co-ordinated push to resolve China’s issues with Canadian canola, cabinet ministers said Monday. Speaking Monday in Ottawa, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr said they’ve set up a new working group including representatives from the Canola […] Read more
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