Ottawa biotech firm Iogen Corp. plans to tighten its focus on cellulosic ethanol by shedding its other business, making and selling enzymes for brewers, grain processors, feed millers and other industries. Danish industrial enzyme maker Novozymes plans to buy Iogen’s industrial enzyme business, Iogen Bio-Products, for $67.5 million plus up to $12.5 million in "earn-out" […] Read more
Iogen to shed processing enzyme business
Deere sees modest rise in farm equipment sales
Deere and Co., the world’s largest farm equipment maker, forecast a modest increase in sales this year despite the prospect of the biggest corn crop in U.S. history, falling short of analysts’ expectations and sending its shares down three per cent. Shares of the company, which also makes excavators, dump trucks and log harvesters, fell […] Read more
National dairy farm biosecurity standard launched
Canada’s food safety agency has formally introduced its biosecurity standard designed specifically for the Canadian dairy farm. Launched Tuesday, the voluntary biosecurity standard maps out dairy farmers’ "control areas" and target outcomes in the areas of animal health management, animal movement, premises management and conditions for workers, visitors, vehicles and equipment. The standard, designed to […] Read more
Scoular buying into Prairie grain handling
Omaha’s Scoular Co. plans to bankroll and operate a new grain handling facility in Saskatchewan’s southeast corner for quick access to U.S. and Mexican processors. Scoular was announced Tuesday as the funding partner, owner and operator for the grain handling portion of a new, $90 million commodity logistics hub to be built on the North […] Read more
CN settles out of court with CP over ex-CEO
A court case pitting Canada’s two major railways against each other over CP’s hiring of a former CN CEO has been settled — just as another CN executive jumps to join him. CN (Canadian National Railway) on Monday announced it has "settled its differences" with CP (Canadian Pacific Railway) and with CP’s new CEO Hunter […] Read more
CP’s 2012 grain handle down, grain revenue up
Canadian Pacific Railway has booked a solid increase in its 2012 year-end gross from hauling Prairie grain — despite a marked drop in its grain handle. The railway’s year-end and fourth-quarter (Q4) financials, released Tuesday, show the costs involved in what the Calgary company describes as a "transformational journey to become the most efficient railroad […] Read more
Canada’s farm fatality rate seen declining
Newly-gathered data on work-related farm deaths in Canada over an 18-year span shows a marked drop in such deaths after the turn of the millennium, suggesting a "greater commitment" to managing safety risks. A report from Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR), documenting farm fatalities from 1990 to 2008, puts the average number of such cases […] Read more
CN’s grain handle up slightly in record 2012
Grain and fertilizer traffic rose 13 per cent in Canadian National Railway’s fourth fiscal quarter, toward a small full-year increase in an otherwise record year on CN track. Canada’s largest rail network on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter profit of $610 million on a record $2.53 billion in revenues, up from $592 million on $2.38 billion […] Read more
Beef code of practice open to comment until March
Ranchers, farmers and consumers are all able to have their say until March 8 on the proposed Canadian code of practice for care and handling of beef cattle. The public comment period opened earlier this month on the draft code, which can be viewed online with an option to submit comments. The draft code, under development […] Read more
Coop federee, BMR hardware chain courting
Agrifood processor and ag retailer La Coop federee is in talks with an Eastern Canada hardware store network toward an “eventual business relationship” in Quebec. Coop federee and Groupe BMR, a chain of 187 home reno and hardware stores, announced Tuesday that “discussions are currently underway towards an eventual business relationship.” The talks are in […] Read more
