Reuters — Workers at Kellogg’s U.S. breakfast cereal plants voted in favour of a new contract that offers better terms for transitional employees and across-the-board wage increases, ending a weeks-long strike, the company said Tuesday. The five-year contract ends the stalemate between the Froot Loops maker and its factory workers in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and […] Read more
Kellogg strike ends as workers approve new labour agreement
Farmers may get time to dispute grain grade, dockage
Canadian Grain Commission proposes extended time frame
Prairie farmers seeking more time to dispute a grain elevator’s call on their grain’s grade and dockage — whether they’re present at delivery or not — may soon get that time under a new proposal from the Canadian Grain Commission. The CGC on Monday opened up proposed regulatory amendments to an 11-week public consultation period […] Read more
Supreme Court asks U.S. government for views on Roundup case
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked President Joe Biden’s administration for its views on whether the justices should hear Bayer’s bid to dismiss claims by customers who contend its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, as the company seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars in damages. Bayer in August filed a […] Read more
Precipitation eases drought conditions on Prairies
Hardest-hit Manitoba sees 'modest' improvements
MarketsFarm — Varied amounts of precipitation are either maintaining or alleviating drought conditions in much of the Prairies, according to the latest nationwide drought map from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM). The latest assessment for the period ended Nov. 30 showed very few areas of worsening drought in the region with […] Read more
Bayer wins second straight verdict in a Roundup cancer case
Plaintiff's settlement demands unreasonable, company said
Reuters — A California jury found that Bayer’s Roundup herbicide was not the cause of a woman’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Bayer said on Thursday, delivering the chemical giant its second trial victory over claims the popular herbicide causes cancer. The jury in San Bernardino County found that Donnetta Stephens’ cancer was not caused by her exposure […] Read more
Buyer found for ag retailer Blair’s contested outlet
ProSoils to buy Blair's location at Lipton, Sask.
Crop input retail chain Blair’s Crop Solutions has a deal in place to sell one of its eastern Saskatchewan sites to meet its obligation to federal regulators. The chain, a joint venture between Federated Co-operatives and the Blair’s Family of Companies, announced Monday it will sell its site at Lipton, Sask., about 80 km west […] Read more
Hail payouts exceed premiums in 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minute It was a near-record year for claims in Western Canada “despite a decrease in overall storm activity,” says the Canadian Crop Hail Association. Claim payments to Prairie farmers topped $322 million, and were up 78 per cent compared to the five-year average. It was the highest payout since 2008 and meant insurers, which collected $309 […] Read more
U.S. EPA to propose expanding credit eligibility under biofuel program
New York | Reuters — The Biden administration is expected to propose expanding the kinds of renewable fuel production processes that are eligible to receive credits under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard program, three sources familiar with the matter said. The move could help increase production of advanced biofuels, which include lower-carbon products such as […] Read more
AAFC lowers canola export forecast
Domestic canola usage raised; other crops largely unchanged
MarketsFarm — Canadian canola exports during the 2021-22 marketing year are forecast to be smaller than earlier projections, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) reported late Friday. Domestic usage, however, was raised in the report, keeping ending stocks of the crop steady with the October forecast. Total Canadian canola exports in 2021-22 are now forecast at […] Read more
B.C. floods may tighten market for real Christmas trees
'We're basically shut down until the water recedes'
Ottawa | Reuters — Finding the perfect real Christmas tree will be harder and more expensive this year. Canada, the world’s top exporter of natural Christmas trees, is grappling with a shortage that will likely be exacerbated by historic flooding in British Columbia, where some tree farms are underwater. A phenomenon known as an atmospheric […] Read more
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