Boehringer Ingelheim, whose headquarters at Ingelheim, Germany is shown here, has formally brought animal health rival Merial into its own animal health business effective Jan. 1. (Boehringer-Ingelheim.com)

Animal pharma firm Merial formally joins Boehringer

Global pharma giants Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim have formally sealed their deal to merge Sanofi’s global animal health business, Merial, into Boehringer’s. The two companies last week announced their deal has “successfully closed in most markets” as of Jan. 1. Paris-based Sanofi will get Boehringer’s global consumer health care business plus 4.7 billion euros (C$6.6 […] Read more

Symptoms of verticillium wilt in an infected potato plant. (OMAFRA.gov.on.ca)

Fungicide cleared to curb verticillium wilt in potatoes

A label expansion for Syngenta’s Aprovia fungicide, to cover additional soil-borne potato diseases, makes it the first fungicide in Canada approved to suppress verticillium wilt in potatoes. Fumigants have been potato growers’ only option against the crop disease until now, Eric Phillips, Syngenta Canada’s fungicides and insecticides product lead, said in a release Thursday. Verticillium […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

No TB quarantines lifted over holidays

None of the 50 ranch properties still under federal quarantine for bovine tuberculosis in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan have been released in the past two weeks, officials reported Thursday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday resumed regular updates on its ongoing investigation into cases of bovine TB in the area. As of Thursday, […] Read more



Buhler’s Versatile tractor arm last summer rolled out a Legendary Limited Edition product line with “historic” red and yellow colours. (Versatile-ag.ca)

Buhler trims net loss, expects improved sales

Strong sales of a limited-edition tractor line helped offset tighter margins and generally lower demand in fiscal 2016 for farm equipment manufacturer Buhler Industries. The Canadian company last Thursday booked a net loss of $2.7 million on $274.1 million in sales for its year ending Sept. 30, 2016, up from a $5.3 million loss on […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

CP, CN both top their Prairie grain revenue caps

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) can soon expect a late gift of over $4.4 million in surplus Prairie grain freight revenue, according to a new ruling from the Canadian Transportation Agency. The agency said Dec. 22 it has determined Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Canadian National Railway (CN) went over their maximum revenue entitlements […] Read more

The Canadian Grain Commission building on Main Street in Winnipeg. (File photo)

Canola Council chief to lead Grain Commission

The point person for Canada’s canola industry will become the chief executive of Canada’s grain handling regulator starting in mid-February. Patti Miller, the president of the Canola Council of Canada since 2012, will start a six-year term as chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission on Feb. 13, federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced Tuesday. […] Read more



Beef checkoff agency has (another) name change

Reading Time: < 1 minute The agency that handles beef checkoffs once again has a new name. “In the past, the handle for the organization managing the checkoff has bounced around a bit,” the newly rechristened Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency said in a release. Once known as the National Check-Off Agency, it’s also been known as Canada Beef and then […] Read more