Andrew Mann, CEO of Adama’s Canadian arm, announced the company’s rebranding from MANA Canada in 2014. (Dave Bedard photo)

Chinese pesticide firm to buy Adama Agricultural

Hong Kong | Reuters — China’s Hubei Sanonda will acquire Israel’s Adama Agricultural Solutions for about 18.6 billion yuan (C$3.67 billion), Sanonda said on Tuesday. Pesticide firm Sanonda, based in China’s central Hubei province, also said it aimed to raise up to 2.5 billion yuan (C$493 million) in a private placement of shares to help […] Read more

Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, shown here at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in March. Global Affairs Canada via YouTube)

Canada working toward EU trade agreement in October

Toronto | Reuters –– Canada is working toward signing a new trade agreement with the European Union in October, federal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday. “We’re working hard for it to be the year when CETA, the Canada-EU trade agreement, is signed. We’re working towards signing in October and ratification early next year,” she […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official

The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more

(Hanjin.com)

Pulses stranded at sea as shipping company flounders

CNS Canada — The bankruptcy of a major Korean shipping company has raised some concerns for Canadian pulse crops moving by container, but any disruptions to movement will likely be minor, according to an industry analyst. Hanjin Shipping Co., the world’s seventh-largest container shipping company, declared bankruptcy on Aug. 31, leaving more than half of […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Saskatchewan farmers to launch ag retail chain

A Saskatchewan family farm and seed retailing operation is set to become the home base for a new chain of crop input and seed retail stores. Brad Hanmer, who farms and operates Hanmer Seeds at Govan, Sask., about 100 km north of Regina, on Wednesday announced the launch of SynergyAG, which plans to open four […] Read more

DuPont’s headquarters in Delaware. (DuPont.com)

EU regulators halt Dow, DuPont merger review to gather data

Brussels | Reuters — European Union antitrust regulators have halted their scrutiny of Dow Chemical and DuPont’s proposed merger while the companies provide more information regarding their US$130 billion deal. The European Commission opened a full investigation into the case in August, concerned that the deal to create the world’s largest integrated crop protection and […] Read more


Laird lentils. (PulseCanada.com)

Unpredictable lentil crops could unsettle market

CNS Canada — Lentil producers have been stuck on a roller coaster this season, and the ride isn’t slowing down going into harvest. “It’s been a very hard year to predict because we have record amounts of acres planted, an incredible start to the season, and then of course the well-publicized weather problems leading to […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. activist investor Ackman leaves CP board

Bill Ackman, the U.S. activist investor who usurped the leadership of Canadian Pacific Railway in 2012, is leaving the Calgary company’s board after his hedge fund sold off its remaining stake last month. Ackman, who heads New York-based Pershing Square Capital Management, joined CP’s board in 2012 and served on its finance and corporate governance […] Read more


(FSPartners.ca)

Growmark, FS plan SW Ontario fertilizer store

Crop supply retail chain FS Partners and its owner, ag co-operative Growmark, plan to put up an expanded fertilizer centre in southwestern Ontario to supply both farmers and other retailers. Growmark announced its plans Wednesday for a new 15,000-tonne capacity facility to be built at Ayr, Ont., about 20 km south of Kitchener. The Illinois-based […] Read more

Syngenta’s Interaction Centre at Stein, Switzerland. (Syngenta.com)

ChemChina extends tender offers for Syngenta

Zurich | Reuters — ChemChina on Tuesday extended by almost two months the deadline for Syngenta investors to tender their shares as the Chinese company seeks to complete a US$43 billion takeover of the Swiss pesticides and seeds group. Investors in Basel-based Syngenta now have until Nov. 8 to tender their shares unless this is […] Read more