A delegation of Ukrainian farmers were visiting agriculture co-ops this week, looking to see if the approach can benefit their grain businesses in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In Ontario they visited Agris Co-op and Great Lakes Grain in Chatham, Agrico fertilizer storage outside London, an Agromart retail operation in Wellburn, and the Donkers’ dairy goat farm […] Read more
Ukraine farmers examine Canadian agriculture co-ops
Alberta Milk supports lunch and snack programs
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Milk is donating $60,000 for lunch and snack programs for Alberta children. “We are farmers, but we are families first. Most of us have children and know that if they get the proper nutrition they need, they have the best chance at learning,” Tom Kootstra, Alberta Milk chair and farms in central Alberta, said […] Read more
Lactalis short of threshold to delist Parmalat
Milan | Reuters — France’s Lactalis failed to reach the 90 per cent stake in Parmalat it required to proceed to delist the Italian food company in the last day of a buyout offer, a filing by the Milan bourse showed Tuesday. Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy firm, bought 15.11 per cent of the shares […] Read more
Robot milker firm Lely to shed forage equipment business
Dutch dairy equipment manufacturer Lely, best known in the Canadian market for its robotic milking systems, plans to focus on that business and sell its forage equipment lines to Agco. The two companies announced Monday they have an agreement in principle for Lely to sell its forage division, including two German manufacturing plants, to U.S.-based […] Read more
Dairy sector still working toward ingredients strategy
The Canadian dairy industry has missed a self-imposed deadline for the Feb. 1 implementation of a national ingredients strategy — but work continues toward that implementation. The strategy is meant to create a lower-priced class of milk, Class 7, to encourage the use of skim milk powder in further-processed ingredients. Ontario has already independently implemented […] Read more
Agropur co-op names new chief
A dairy producer from the Centre-du-Quebec region is being promoted to the head of the board table at dairy co-operative Agropur. Rene Moreau, who farms south of Victoriaville at Warwick, Que., was announced Friday as Agropur’s new president, replacing Serge Riendeau, who led the board for the past 15 years. Moreau, one of Agropur’s vice-presidents […] Read more
Want to be a dairy farmer?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Milk is accepting applications to its New Entrant Assistance Program until March 31. The program matches the quota purchased by the new entrant with a loan of quota from Alberta Milk up to 25 kilograms per day (about 20 to 25 cows) at no cost. New entrants can expand up to 70 kg/day of […] Read more
Agropur raises 2016 sales, patronage dividends
Acquisitions and cost-cutting have combined to boost dairy co-operative Agropur’s year-end bottom line — and to raise its total patronage dividends for the year by 50 per cent. The Quebec co-operative, which in 2016 landed on Rabobank’s list of the world’s 20 largest dairy companies for the first time, booked net earnings before patronage and […] Read more
Scotsburn ice cream business sale to Agropur cleared
Canada’s biggest dairy co-operative has been given the all-clear to close its deal for an Atlantic dairy co-op’s ice cream business. Agropur Co-operative on Thursday announced it has bought the assets of Truro, N.S.-based Scotsburn Co-operative Services, which include the company’s plants in Truro and in Lachute, Que. as well as the Scotsburn brand name. […] Read more
Drilling down on dairy costs
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is once again offering the Dairy Cost Study program to Alberta producers. The study is similar to the Agri-Profits program but offers business analysis for just the dairying aspect of the farm. This includes total costs, costs per cow, and costs per hectolitre sold. Data is used to create provincial averages, […] Read more