Canadian National Railway (CN) plans to close down several stretches of its main line on the Prairies for the weekend starting Friday night, citing “ongoing extreme cold weather.” CN said in an email Friday (Feb. 28) it will suspend operations from 8 p.m. local time until 8 a.m. Monday morning (March 3) on six subdivisions. […] Read more
CN shutting parts of Prairie main lines for weekend
Rules now on books to enforce hog traceability for July 1
Hog farmers and handlers in Canada now officially have until July 1 to get their operations Pigtrace-compatible. Amendments to the federal Health of Animals Regulations were published Wednesday in the Canada Gazette to make traceability of farmed pigs mandatory effective July 1 this year. The same rules will also apply to farmed wild boars starting […] Read more
Agrium to dial up urea, ammonia production in Texas
The board of Canadian fertilizer and ag retail giant Agrium has greenlit plans to dial up production of urea and ammonia at its Texas nitrogen plant. Calgary-based Agrium on Tuesday announced approval for a “debottleneck” expansion at its plant at Borger, Tex., about 70 km northeast of Amarillo. Debottlenecking — that is, increasing a plant’s […] Read more
CN, CP would accept ‘reciprocal penalties’ in service agreements: Sask.
Canada’s big two railways have pledged to have “thousands” of additional cars taking grain to ports until at least December this year, and would also sign level-of-service pacts with grain shippers providing for “reciprocal penalties,” the Saskatchewan government says. The provincial government, which on Feb. 12 struck a cabinet delegation to meet with grain companies […] Read more
Railways step up service as Ottawa eyes tackling grain backlog
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s two big railways are stepping up service to reduce a backlog of grain shipments that have delayed exports and pushed oat prices to record highs, but the Canadian government said it may still step in with new regulations. Record crops of wheat and canola, along with frigid weather, overwhelmed Canadian […] Read more
Quebec’s first case of PEDv confirmed
A farm in Quebec’s Monteregie was confirmed Sunday as the province’s first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in hogs. The provincial agriculture, food and fisheries department didn’t specify whether the affected farm was a farrowing and/or finishing operation or provide other details on its location or the number of mortalities, if any, when it […] Read more
‘Immediate’ penalties urged for railways on grain delays
The Alberta government is calling on federal lawmakers to impose a system of “immediate” cash penalties against railways that don’t meet obligations on grain delivery. The province’s agriculture minister Verlyn Olson is booked to meet Monday in Winnipeg with his federal counterpart, Gerry Ritz, plus representatives from the grain industry and Canadian Grain Commission. Up […] Read more
Consider farmers’ viewpoint when advising on back pain
About four of every five Canadians suffer back pain at some time in their lives — but any professionals advising farmers on how to manage the problem will want to consider how farmers’ needs differ from those of other sufferers, a new study suggests. Of course, farmers’ access to health care out in rural areas […] Read more
Japan eyes trade pact concessions as talks with U.S. begin
Tokyo | Reuters — Japan could make concessions on tariffs on some sensitive farm products, a key cabinet minister said Tuesday, as U.S. and Japanese officials began talks ahead of next week’s high-level multilateral negotiations on a U.S.-led free trade deal. A deal between the U.S. and Japan, the two biggest economies taking part in […] Read more
PEDv confirmed in Manitoba, suspected in P.E.I.
The piglet-killing porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) is now suspected to have reached Canadian hog farms in three provinces. The Manitoba government and Manitoba Pork Council on Friday reported the virus is now confirmed in hogs at a wean-to-finish operation in the province’s southeast, a region known for intensive livestock production and considered to be […] Read more
