Ontario’s incumbent agriculture minister and her opposition critics are all headed back to Queen’s Park as voters gave Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals a new majority mandate Thursday night. Wynne, who pledged during her campaign for the Liberal leadership in 2012 to name herself as minister of agriculture for at least a year, won 59 of […] Read more
Ontario voters return ag incumbents in Wynne’s win
CWB seals Sask. terminal deal on PWT shareholders’ approval
The grain company formerly known as the Canadian Wheat Board now formally owns an elevator network in western Saskatchewan. CWB announced Monday it has formally completed its friendly takeover of farmer-owned Prairie West Terminal (PWT) after the company’s farmer-owners and other shareholders voted 99.5 per cent in favour of the deal at a May 30 […] Read more
Revived Thunder Bay terminal boosts Richardson’s capacity
Reviving a mothballed port terminal bought from Viterra is expected to more than double Richardson International’s grain handling capacity at Thunder Bay. The Winnipeg grain company took over Viterra’s Current River grain terminal, with storage capacity of 235,000 tonnes, in a side deal last year stemming from Viterra’s takeover by Glencore Xstrata. Richardson’s own 95-year-old […] Read more
Quebec poultry co-op to buy P+H’s Butterball business
Winnipeg agrifood firm Parrish and Heimbecker has signed a deal to shed its P+H Foods poultry processing business, which includes the Canadian business for the U.S. turkey brand Butterball. Exceldor, a Levis, Que.-based poultry producers’ processing co-operative, announced Thursday it will expand its market reach across Canada by buying the P+H Foods business for an […] Read more
Dairytown’s farmers approve merger into Agropur
New Brunswick butter co-operative Dairytown Products is expected to become part of major Quebec dairy co-op Agropur by month’s end, now that Dairytown’s farmers have approved the deal. The two co-ops announced Wednesday that Dairytown’s “beneficiaries,” the province’s 206 active dairy producers, voted 99 per cent in favour of the merger Tuesday. Member turnout topped […] Read more
Manitoba senator to lead grains institute
Canada’s lead market development institute for Canadian grains, oilseeds and pulses has reached into Parliament’s upper chamber to pick its new chief executive. Cigi, the Canadian International Grains Institute, on Tuesday announced Senator JoAnne Buth will be its new CEO, replacing Earl Geddes on his retirement effective Sept. 8. Buth, president of the Canola Council of […] Read more
New website for Environmental Farm Plan
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan’s new website at www.albertaefp.com is live and mobile friendly. “The website features farmer stories, articles, videos and Twitter feed,” says Ashley Steeple of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta. “The new site makes it easier to find an EFP technician in your area and get started on completing […] Read more
Chinese cuisine with an Alberta twist
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta beef and pork were front and center at the recent Chinese Restaurant Awards event in Vancouver. The sixth annual event – part of the Chinese Master Chef program – showcased Alberta meat to a group of national and international chefs, as well as food-service operators. Six top chefs from China and Hong Kong created […] Read more
Que. brewery plans Canada’s most ‘extreme’ beer
A Quebec craft brewery plans to stake a claim on the record for the strongest bottled beer in Canada by alcoholic volume. Brasseurs du Monde, which is based at St-Hyacinthe and distributes to about 700 stores, bars and restaurants in the province, on Thursday announced the launch of Mauvaise Influence, an “extra strong” malt liquor […] Read more
Canada to produce world’s first McSustainable beef
Canada has been picked over Australia and Europe as the site of the McDonald’s chain’s pilot to serve only “sustainable beef,” Alberta Farmer has learned. A definition of “sustainable” is still on the drawing board. However, the fast-food firm has the backing of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and is working with the CCA’s Canadian Roundtable […] Read more
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