Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government dismissed on Tuesday complaints from Canadian National Railway (CN) that fines for failing to ship the required minimum amounts of grain were unfair because there was not enough demand. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said there was a backlog of grain waiting for CN to move, even though it […] Read more
CN fines over grain shipments to proceed, Ritz says
Deere chain to pick up four S. Alta. dealerships
A southern Alberta group of John Deere farm equipment dealerships is set to become part of the Cervus Equipment chain. Calgary-based Cervus, which owns the largest group of Deere farm equipment dealerships in Canada, announced an agreement Thursday to buy up all shares in Evergreen Equipment, the owner of Deere dealerships in Bassano, Brooks, Drumheller […] Read more
CP meeting federal grain shipment targets
Reuters — Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has met the minimum weekly grain volumes mandated by the federal government, the railway said Thursday, a day after Transport Canada said it would fine Canadian National Railway (CN) for falling short. CP spokeswoman Breanne Feigel said in an email that the railway had cleared the minimum volumes to […] Read more
CP challenging extended rail interswitching rules
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) wants the courts to shoot down new federal rules that allow more Prairie elevators to move loaded grain cars on more than one railway, the Manitoba Co-operator reports. The Canadian Transportation Agency rules, launched in tandem with the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act passed in May, are the target of an action […] Read more
Man sought on alleged ag equipment scams
Police in Alberta and Saskatchewan are looking for a 31-year-old man wanted on fraud charges stemming from allegedly unfulfilled online ads for farm equipment. Bradly Barry Kowalczyk is wanted on warrants from Calgary and the Three Hills, Chestermere, Crowsnest Pass, Viking, St. Paul and Olds areas of Alberta on charges relating to fraud over $5,000, […] Read more
CN to be fined for under-hauling grain
Canadian National Railway (CN) is set to be fined for allegedly failing to meet its now-mandatory minimum weekly grain handle. The as-yet unspecified penalty would be the first under the federal Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act passed earlier this year. [Related story] The Act requires CN and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to move a minimum […] Read more
New Holland to buy sprayer manufacturer Miller
Wisconsin precision spraying equipment maker Miller can expect to break further into the Canadian market following a friendly takeover by New Holland’s farm equipment arm. New Holland’s parent firm CNH Industrial announced a “definitive agreement” last week to buy the assets of Miller-St. Nazianz Inc. for an undisclosed sum. New Holland has had a manufacturing […] Read more
U.S. lawmakers fault rail sector for slow service, profits
Washington | Reuters — U.S. rail operators must put investment ahead of profits to clear the way for grain, automotive and chemical shipments now clogging the tracks, lawmakers said at a congressional hearing Wednesday about the health of the rail grid. Rail backups in the U.S. Midwest are particularly acute, with farmers expected to harvest […] Read more
Service to flag possible farm equipment safety issues
Farmers wanting to air concerns about possible safety hazards on new equipment now have another channel to move those issues forward. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) last week launched its “Speak Up For Safer Equipment” tool, an online form farmers can use to report safety concerns with farm equipment manufactured in the past five […] Read more
Minogue: In tractors, data is the new tech
Boone, Iowa | Grainews –– Data was the star of the show when Case IH launched its new lineup here during the U.S. Farm Progress Show. Jim Walker, Case IH’s vice-president for its North American agricultural business, told media that although this year’s launch doesn’t have the quantity of new products farmers have seen released […] Read more
