Canada’s biggest grain handler plans to take on a $100 million-plus list of “improvements and upgrades” to boost annual throughput at its Pacific Elevators terminal in Vancouver to as much as six million tonnes. “This is a significant investment spanning several projects, that when completed, will enhance our strategic position on the West Coast, and […] Read more
Viterra to boost Vancouver port terminal throughput
Cargill to boost S. Manitoba grain handling capacity
Cargill’s Canadian arm is set to start work within the next month on capacity expansions at its grain elevator in southern Manitoba’s Red River Valley. The company said Thursday it plans to triple storage capacity and nearly double its rail car spot at its farm service centre on the Canadian National Railway (CN) line at […] Read more
CWB building grain elevator east of Saskatoon
The grain company formerly known as the Canadian Wheat Board has picked a site for a second high-throughput Prairie grain elevator, this time in central Saskatchewan. CWB announced Thursday it has started construction of a 42,000-tonne capacity steel facility on Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) track just southeast of Colonsay, about 60 km east of Saskatoon […] Read more
Early-maturing corn hybrids on their way
Reading Time: < 1 minute DuPont Pioneer has received a $1-million grant from two Alberta research agencies to develop early-maturing corn hybrids for provincial growing conditions. Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund and Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions are contributing $500,000 each over five years to develop shorter-season corn hybrids with higher yield potential. “In the next decade, we see a landscape […] Read more
PEDv found in hogs at W. Manitoba site
Veterinary officials in Manitoba are following up with hog farmers who’ve taken animals through an unnamed “high-traffic site” after a “small number” of hogs held there were confirmed positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). In its preliminary investigation, the office of Manitoba’s chief veterinary officer (CVO) finds it likely that the PED-positive pigs picked up […] Read more
Big changes coming to plant breeding
With Ottawa poised to step back from developing market-ready cultivars, wheat and barley breeding is in for big changes
Reading Time: 3 minutes What do Prairie farmers want when it comes to cereal breeding? That’s the question being posed by the Western Grains Research Foundation, the farmer-run conduit for most of western grain farmers’ investment in agricultural research. “Breeding is a long-term process,” Garth Patterson, the foundation’s executive director, said at Winter Cereals Manitoba’s recent annual meeting. “You […] Read more
Bison producers need to make the switch to RFID tags as of April 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bison that are still sporting dangle tags as of April 1 will need to be retagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags before being moved. “Traceability is always a concern for the livestock industry, so effective April 1, the RFID tag is the only legal tag for bison,” said Terry Kremeniuk, executive director of the Canadian Bison Association. […] Read more
Livestock price insurance plan now taking applications
With applications now available, Western Canada’s cattle and hog producers are being encouraged to consider the new federal/provincial livestock price insurance plan as a risk management tool against unexpected price drops. The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP), announced in January, is an insurance policy product offering protection against an unexpected drop in prices of […] Read more
Community pride the true legacy of Hockeyville win
Reporter's Notebook
Reading Time: 2 minutes Well, that doesn’t suck.” With that, Jared Waldo wryly summed up the feelings of more than a thousand screaming Sylvan Lake supporters as they celebrated the town being named 2014’s Kraft Hockeyville. When the roof of the town’s arena collapsed this winter, Waldo and friend Kevin Putnam nominated their hometown for the contest and the […] Read more
Que. ag minister, ag critics hold seats in PQ loss
The Parti Quebecois’ agriculture minister and his critics in Quebec’s assembly have held their seats in the wake of an election that’s upended the province’s government. Francois Gendron, who’d served as Premier Pauline Marois’ deputy premier and the province’s agriculture, food and fisheries minister since September 2012, held his Abitibi-Ouest riding in Monday night’s election […] Read more
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