A new ordinance that prohibits trucks from parking at Brazil’s main Santos port at night caused what may be the worst traffic jam of a busy season on Tuesday, slowing delivery of the country’s record soybean crop. Lines of parked trucks extended as much as 50 km on the Anchieta highway leading to the Santos […] Read more
Truck rules spur massive backup at major Brazilian port
Westeel buys Italian grain conveyor maker
Winnipeg grain storage and handling equipment maker Westeel plans to offer customers worldwide a “more comprehensive” product line by buying further into the grain conveyor business. Westeel, the grain and liquid storage products arm of Oakville, Ont.-based Vicwest Inc., recently announced it has bought PTM Technology, an Italian designer and manufacturer of automated grain handling […] Read more
FREE to good home: FARM PROGRESS tickets
Editor’s Note: We’ve said it before and now we’ll say it again — “Well,that was quick.” The contest is now closed and the 82 winning entrants have been notified by email. Thanks to all of you who entered for taking part in this year’s contest and for visiting our websites. Haven’t got your tickets yet for Canada’s […] Read more
Pearce: Ruling over Ont. wind farm does more to confuse
Many a battle over rural resources and farm development has been waged between rural neighbours in the past 15 years — ranging from legal challenges surrounding hog barn constructions to the development of gravel pits beneath arable land. In the latest such battle, a recent ruling by an Ontario Superior Court of Justice would appear […] Read more
McMillan: Aim high on seeding density, canola expert says
Seeding is now active across most of the Prairies, but is running one to three weeks behind normal, leaving farmers eager to get seed in the ground as soon as possible. It pays to ensure the job is done right the first time. Autumn Holmes-Saltzman, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says “Take […] Read more
CP to speed up Prairie track ‘enhancements’
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has pledged up to an extra $100 million to its previously planned capital budget for track “enhancements” in its Prairie network. CP’s addition to the $1.1 billion capital spending plan it announced in December for the 2013 fiscal year follows a similar move by rival Canadian National Railway (CN), which last […] Read more
Ammonium nitrate triggered Texas blast, state agency says
Investigators have confirmed ammonium nitrate was the trigger for the explosion at a West, Tex. fertilizer plant last month that left 14 people dead and some 200 injured, according to the Texas state fire marshal’s office. The actual cause of the fire and subsequent blast at the West Fertilizer facility is still being determined, investigators […] Read more
WeatherFarm aims to boost service under new ownership
Prairie farmers can expect to see an “enhanced selection” of online weather and agronomic tools from WeatherFarm.com, following the recent transfer of the program to new owners. The network has been purchased from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) through a new partnership between Glacier Media and agricultural meteorology firm Weather INnovations Inc., in the form […] Read more
Pearce: Planter row unit’s launch helps boost growers’ spirits
Commodity prices are higher than 10 years ago, but growers are still looking for that competitive edge — that one parameter that boosts their production on a per-bushel basis. In the past year, one theme that has popped up repeatedly is “Control the controllable,” referring to everything from fertility to tillage and from crop rotations […] Read more
Allflex sale cashes in on livestock control boom
British private-equity firm Electra Partners is selling out of animal tagging company Allflex after 14 years, banking the rewards from ever stricter livestock controls prompted by a string of food scares. Electra said on Friday it has received a binding offer worth $1.3 billion from private-equity peer BC Partners, amounting to $630.5 million gross proceeds […] Read more
