(Dave Bedard photo)

Viterra to boost two Prairie elevators’ capacity

One of the Prairies’ biggest grain handlers has pledged to boost the handling and rail capacity at two of its inland terminals. Glencore Agriculture’s Viterra arm announced Thursday it plans to upgrade its elevators at Stettler, Alta., about 80 km east of Red Deer, and at Binscarth, Man., about 120 km southeast of Yorkton, Sask. […] Read more

There were more than three dozen growing projects and fundraisers in Alberta last year, including the Brownfield and District Growing Project, which made a YouTube video of its 2017 harvest.

Growing projects putting down roots around elevators

Reading Time: 2 minutes Volunteers at a trio of Canadian Foodgrains Bank growing projects in Alberta won’t have to go far to deliver their harvests this fall. Viterra is providing 400 acres around three of its Alberta grain terminals (and another three in Saskatchewan) for growing pro­jects this year. “We’ve had a long-standing partnership with Viterra,” said John Longhurst, […] Read more


Richardson International’s Jean-Marc Ruest says his company’s decision to withdraw from the Canola Council of Canada came after almost a year of talks aimed at making the associations more efficient and funding more equitable.

Richardson pullout roils canola sector

Alberta Canola backs council, saying its marketing efforts and agronomic support are key to canola’s success

Reading Time: 3 minutes Richardson International’s decision not to renew its membership means a big financial hit for the Canola Council of Canada, but it could have been even worse. According to several reliable sources, Viterra had planned to leave too, but changed course — possibly because of a big cut in membership fees. Losing Canada’s two biggest grain […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Grain company hunt goes on for Glencore

Geneva | Reuters — Commodities giant Glencore has made unsuccessful moves for three or four smaller targets in the grain sector this year as it seeks acquisitions to grow upstream, the head of its agricultural arm said. “We have looked at three or four possibilities in our core area already this year but couldn’t reach […] Read more


(AGCanada.com, Bunge.com photos)

Bunge shares jump on report of Glencore standstill agreement

Reuters — Shares of U.S. commodities trader Bunge surged on Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Glencore had a standstill agreement that temporarily prevents the Swiss company from making a hostile bid for Bunge. Bunge had rebuffed a takeover approach by Glencore in May. Speculation has swirled for months that Glencore would make […] Read more

wheat in hand and combine

Viterra pledges land for grow project

Reading Time: < 1 minute Viterra is providing the Canadian Foodgrains Bank with 42 acres of land to farm at its terminals in Stettler and Balgonie, Sask. The Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working to end global hunger, has found local farmers to farm the land. Once harvest is complete, the proceeds of the sale […] Read more



(AGCanada.com, Bunge.com photos)

Glencore approaches Bunge on possible takeover

Reuters — Glencore Plc said on Tuesday its agricultural unit has made an informal approach to commodities trader Bunge Ltd. about a “possible consensual business combination,” the company said in a statement. The commodities trading firm did not say more about a potential offer that its Glencore Agriculture unit made to Bunge. Glencore, whose Canadian […] Read more


Gavilon Grain has sold its facility at Grand Forks, N.D. to Viterra. (Gavilon.com)

Viterra buys North Dakota elevator

Prairie grain handler Viterra is expanding its reach in eastern North Dakota with a deal for Gavilon Grain’s elevator at Grand Forks. Regina-based Viterra said Monday it has closed its acquisition of Omaha-based Gavilon’s Grand Forks site for an undisclosed sum, and plans “immediate capital upgrades” for the elevator. The Grand Forks site, which was […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. agribusiness deal not a priority for Glencore

Lausanne | Reuters — Glencore does not see further consolidation in agricultural commodities as straightforward and views a U.S. acquisition as less crucial than in the past, the group’s agriculture chief said Tuesday. The diversified trading and mining group had pointed to the possibility of making bolt-on acquisitions after posting improved results for 2016 and […] Read more