A ministerial order requiring railways to apply handbrakes on trains stopped on mountain grades is the subject of an appeal by Canada’s big two railways. Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) said Friday it will appeal the Feb. 8 order, which federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau issued following the Feb. 4 fatal crash of a grain train […] Read more
Railways to appeal federal order on train braking
FCC offers up new Starter Loans
“Preferential” loan rates are available to young farmers or agribusinesspeople planning start-ups through a new Farm Credit Canada lending program. Lawrence MacAulay, addressing the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting Wednesday in Ottawa when he was still federal minister of agriculture, unveiled the federal ag lending agency’s new Starter Loan Program. The program, according to […] Read more
Baltic Dry Index near 2-1/2-year lows
The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) has dropped sharply over the past two months, as declining global demand for commodities — especially from China — weighed on the economic indicator. The BDI, compiled daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange, provides an assessment of the price of moving major raw materials by sea, including grain. The BDI […] Read more
Buhler cutting overhead to boost margins
Tractor and farm equipment maker Buhler Industries has added financing from its majority owner to a regime of cost cuts in a bid to lift its quarterly results out of the red. Citing “depressed” sales due to “weak” commodity prices, the Winnipeg company on Thursday booked a net loss of $4.4 million on $57.3 million […] Read more
‘Tinder for cows’ matches livestock in mood for love
Petersfield, England | Reuters — A Tinder-inspired app is helping farmers match up potential partners for their cattle. Called “Tudder” — a mix of dating app Tinder and udder — it lets farmers swipe right on cattle they like the look of. They are then directed to a page on the SellMyLivestock website where they […] Read more
Ford recalls 1.48 million pickups over transmissions
Washington | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. said on Wednesday it was recalling about 1.48 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America due to a potential transmission downshift issue that could increase the risk of a crash. Ford said select 2011-2013 model year trucks with six-speed automatic transmission could experience an unintended downshift into first […] Read more
CP mainline through Rockies reopened after crash
Canadian Pacific Railway’s mainline through the Rocky Mountains has reopened to traffic following a grain train derailment that killed three railroaders Monday. Calgary-based CP announced late Friday its mainline through Field, B.C. was reopened at midday Wednesday “in close collaboration with Transport Canada, and upon completion of all necessary safety checks.” Meanwhile, CP said Friday, […] Read more
CP grain train ‘began to move on its own’ before fatal derailment
Winnipeg | Reuters — A Canadian Pacific Railway train was parked for a change of crew when it unexpectedly rolled down a steep embankment and derailed in British Columbia’s Rocky Mountains on Monday, killing three crew members, a transport regulator said. The train, hauling 112 cars of grain, was parked for two hours at the […] Read more
Biofuels group suing U.S. EPA over small refinery exemptions
Washington | Reuters — Biofuels group Growth Energy filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, challenging the agency’s renewable fuel mandate for 2019 as failing to address rising waived biofuel volumes. “EPA’s inaction on addressing lost gallons due to small refinery exemptions in this rulemaking is a clear violation of […] Read more
Three crew die in CP grain train derailment
Toronto | Reuters — Three crew members died on Monday when a Canadian Pacific Railway grain train derailed in British Columbia, a Transportation Safety Board (TSB) spokesman said. The accident occurred when a train carrying 40 to 60 grain hopper cars derailed near Field, B.C., the TSB spokesman said. TSB is investigating the cause of […] Read more
