Officers with the Grain Services Union have agreed to put a settlement over a years-old pension dispute with Viterra to a vote by affected employees in January. Union officials and management of Canada’s biggest grain company, recently formed by the merger of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (SWP) and Agricore United, have signed the settlement agreement, the […] Read more
GSU to vote on Viterra pension offer
Potato growers post near-record yields: StatsCan
Good potato-growing conditions in most of Canada led to per-acre yields near the record seen in 2006, according to preliminary numbers from Statistics Canada. Preliminary potato yields reached 279 hundredweight per acre in 2007, down slightly from 287.1 cwt/acre in 2006, while overall production fell two per cent to 109.6 million cwt (about 4.97 million […] Read more
Canada’s honey harvest drops 40 per cent
Canadian beekeepers’ 2007 honey crop is over 40 per cent smaller than the record production in 2006 and about 27 per cent below the five-year average, according to preliminary counts from Statistics Canada. The federal statistician on Friday reported that the preliminary numbers put national honey production for 2007 at 61.4 million pounds, down from […] Read more
N.S. private wine stores allowed to buy direct
The Nova Scotia government will allow privately-owned wine stores to source products directly from suppliers when their second five-year operating agreement starts up next year. The province allowed private wine and specialty stores (PWSS) to start up under operating agreements with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. (NSLC) in 2003, and signed agreements with four businesses, […] Read more
Dollar, volatility weigh on November PROs: CWB
The Canadian dollar and “highly volatile” wheat futures markets during November have pressured most wheat grades in the Canadian Wheat Board’s latest pool return outlook (PRO). In its release Thursday, the CWB cited the loonie’s rise in value as the “primary” reason for the decline in the November 2007-08 PROs for milling wheat and durum. […] Read more
U.S. “test-and-hold” policy lifted: MCO
The U.S. government’s new protocols for testing Canadian meat imports no longer include holding the shipment while test results are confirmed, the Manitoba Co-operator reported Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced earlier this month that its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would increase its testing of Canadian meat at the border for E. […] Read more
Alta. potato pest still not confirmed: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s investigation of two potato fields in northern Alberta has yet to confirm the presence of potato cyst nematode (PCN) in the area, the agency said Thursday. Initial test results in early October showed the “possible presence” of PCN in the fields, leading to “extensive” soil sampling and testing, which is […] Read more
Sask. ag critic now ag minister
Bob Bjornerud, a founding member of the Saskatchewan Party and most recently its critic for agriculture, was sworn into office Wednesday as the province’s new agriculture minister. Brad Wall was sworn in Wednesday evening as Saskatchewan’s 14th premier and introduced his cabinet, which includes 18 of the party’s 38 MLAs. Wall’s team reduced Lorne Calvert’s […] Read more
Stettler plans farm waste power plant
The Alberta government will grant over $137,000 for an $8 million electricity-from-biomass project in the county of Stettler. Prairie Biogas Ltd. and the county government will use the province’s funds to help develop a plant that can process 25 tonnes of mostly farm biomass but also municipal waste, producing a “clean” synthetic gas that can […] Read more
Man. to regulate foreign worker recruitment
Manitoba’s provincial government will consult on plans to regulate agencies that recruit temporary workers from other countries. Labour Minister Nancy Allan announced plans Wednesday to consult with stakeholders on proposed changes to the provincial Employment Services Act. One of the proposals would require that all third-party recruiters of foreign workers be licensed by the province. […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
