Commerce on a key stretch of the Mississippi River could "come to an effective halt" earlier than expected next week due to low water levels, disrupting shipments of billions of dollars of grain and other goods, a group of shippers said on Wednesday. The Waterways Council, which represents shippers and receivers of commodities, said in […] Read more
Low water may halt Mississippi River transport next week
Arrest net widens over vanishing maple syrup
Quebec’s provincial police now allege it might not just be syrup thieves but a syrup gang responsible for disappearances from the province’s "strategic reserve" of maple syrup. Having arrested three people on related charges on Dec. 18, la Surete de Quebec on Thursday announced it has arrested a total of 18 people in the previous […] Read more
Ont. grain equipment maker to consolidate into new plant
An expansion-minded grain and feed handling equipment maker is set to build one new plant in southwestern Ontario to replace its two smaller facilities in the region. Lambton Conveyor, now based at Florence, Ont., about 60 km southeast of Sarnia, with a second plant at nearby Bothwell, announced it will renovate a former auto parts […] Read more
Cargill to expand W. Sask. elevator’s rail spot
Work is underway at Cargill’s grain elevator at Kindersley in western Saskatchewan to boost its rail loop capacity to 100 cars. "By improving Kindersley’s rail infrastructure, we are addressing the challenges we’ve been seeing regarding restrictions on deliveries due to limited capacity," Len Penner, president of Cargill’s Canadian arm in Winnipeg, said in a release […] Read more
Ag Growth, Bayer collaborate on seed treaters
Winnipeg grain handling equipment maker Ag Growth International and seed and ag chem firm Bayer CropScience are working together on a new on-farm seed treater for North American farmers. The two companies’ development and co-marketing agreement, announced Wednesday, would see Ag Growth work with Bayer’s proprietary SeedGrowth technology for precision application of seed treatments in […] Read more
CN, CP slightly over limits on Prairie grain revenue
Canada’s two main railways have both come in less than 0.1 per cent over their nine-figure limits on the annual revenue they’re allowed to keep from hauling Prairie farmers’ grain. The Canadian Transportation Agency, which has set the railways’ revenue caps on domestic grain handling revenue since the end of the Crow Rate freight subsidy […] Read more
Arrests made in Quebec maple syrup heist
Updated, Dec. 18 — This summer’s disappearance of six million pounds of Quebec maple syrup from the province’s “strategic reserve” has led to charges against three people, with more arrests pending. Quebec’s provincial police, la Surete du Quebec, said Richard Vallieres of Loretteville, Avik Caron of St. Wenceslas and an unnamed third person arrested will […] Read more
Dry Ont., Que. farms needing feed get AgriRecovery
Livestock producers in parched regions of Ontario and Quebec will get AgriRecovery funding to help cover the costs of hauling feed to their animals or vice-versa. The federal and Ontario government on Friday announced a $2.4 million AgriRecovery budget for what’s dubbed the Ontario Forage and Livestock Transportation Assistance Initiative. For producers in designated drought […] Read more
Sugarcane has Agco optimistic on 2013
Farming equipment maker Agco Corp. expects its 2013 profit to be in a range mostly above Wall Street’s forecast, citing growing sales of tractors to harvest sugarcane in South America. The company, which competes fiercely with rival Deere and Co., expects 2013 earnings per share of $5.50 to $5.75 per share (all figures US$). Analysts […] Read more
Grain farmers hail rail freight service enforcement
Prairie crop growers relying on the rails to get their wares past Canada’s geography are hailing federal legislation tabled Tuesday, which, if needed, would enforce levels of service between rail freight shippers and railways. Bill C-52, the Fair Rail Freight Service Act, would give companies shipping goods by rail the right to set up a […] Read more
