An Ontario dairyman’s legal challenge of bans on the sale of unpasteurized milk has ended at the Supreme Court of Canada’s doormat. The country’s top court on Thursday dismissed — without costs — the application from Durham, Ont. farmer Michael Schmidt, in which he sought leave to appeal previous losses at Ontario’s Court of Justice and […] Read more
Supreme Court rejects raw-milk dairyman’s appeal
Trade mission to Turkey opens doors
Need to upgrade cattle, sheep and goat genetics offers opportunities for Alberta companies
Reading Time: 2 minutes A provincial trade mission to Turkey has identified significant opportunities for Alberta in the areas of sheep and goat genetics, live cattle and cattle genetics, pulses, pet food, and agriculture-focused post-secondary education and training. The Alberta delegation included OC Flock Management (a Bowden-based company specializing in small ruminants’ reproductive technologies and genetics), ITS Global (a […] Read more
Milk prices sink as ‘white gold’ floods even China’s demand
Wellington/Shanghai | Reuters –– Hopes of a “white gold” rush fuelled by booming Asian demand for milk and other dairy products have been dealt a blow, as swollen stockpiles in top consumer China and a flood of supply pummel dairy prices. Global dairy prices have fallen more than 40 per cent since February, according to […] Read more
Saputo posts bigger profit, hikes dividend
Reuters –– Saputo Inc., Canada’s largest dairy producer, reported higher quarterly earnings on Tuesday, lifted by recent acquisitions. The Montreal-based company also increased its quarterly dividend by 13 per cent to 26 cents from 23 and announced a two-for-one stock split. For Saputo’s first quarter through June 30, net income rose to $145.3 million, or […] Read more
U.S. officials call foul over Canada’s ‘pizza kit’ clampdown
Ottawa’s move to plug a regulatory hole that eased pizzerias’ access to U.S. mozza seems to have halted traffic in “pizza kits” — but U.S. officials see that move as potentially trade-unfriendly. Officials also estimate the move will effectively shut Canada’s ports to thousands of tons of U.S. pizza toppings valued at up to US$30 million […] Read more
Agropur to take over N.B.’s Northumberland dairy co-op
The dairy arm of New Brunswick’s Northumberland Dairy Co-operative is poised to become part of dairy co-op giant Agropur. Agropur on Monday announced it has an agreement in place with Northumberland to take over the Miramichi, N.B.-based co-operative’s dairy processing and food distribution business, leaving Northumberland with its hardware and building supply operations. Financial terms […] Read more
Agropur to buy Safeway dairy plants in West
Dairy co-operative giant Agropur is set to build its milk muscle in Western Canada with a $356 million play for Sobeys’ former Canada Safeway milk processing plants. Quebec-based Agropur and Nova Scotia-based Sobeys on Tuesday announced a “strategic partnership” agreement in which Agropur will buy the four plants, supply Canada’s Sobeys, IGA and Safeway retail […] Read more
Saputo eyes mergers, acquisitions in U.S., Canada, Australia
Reuters — Canada’s largest dairy producer, Saputo, still digesting a major purchase in Australia, is examining other possible acquisitions there and in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, CEO Lino Saputo Jr. said Thursday. In the U.S., potential acquisitions could cost less than $100 million to as much as $4 billion, Saputo said in a […] 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
U.S. dairy farmers threaten to oppose Trans-Pacific trade deal
Washington | Reuters — U.S. dairy farmers and milk processors on Wednesday threatened to oppose a Pacific trade deal if Japan and Canada do not agree to accept substantially more dairy imports. In a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative and Department of Agriculture, members of the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy […] Read more