The federal government will ask for a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel on the issue of the United States’ domestic farm subsidies when the WTO’s dispute settlement body meets Nov. 19. Federal Trade Minister David Emerson said in a statement Thursday that Ottawa believes the U.S. “has breached its international obligations by providing agricultural […] Read more
Canada seeks WTO panel on U.S. subsidies
Viterra makes pitch to end SWP pension fight
Viterra has put a new proposal on the table in hopes of ending a long-simmering dispute over the funding of the pension plan for its Saskatchewan Wheat Pool staff represented by the Grain Services Union (GSU). In a release Thursday, Canada’s largest grain handler said its new proposal will see it amend the existing SaskPool/GSU […] Read more
Dollar, higher costs weigh on Ont. cattle prices: study
Current U.S. beef cattle prices should have a positive, stabilizing effect on Ontario prices, but that’s more than offset by the loonie and recent higher costs for the province’s packers and exporters, according to a new report by the George Morris Centre. In a paper released Thursday, the Guelph-based agricultural think tank reviewed the three […] Read more
Agropur joins South American venture
Quebec dairy farmers’ co-operative Agropur will start a new joint venture in with Adecoagro, a South American food company, to develop new dairy business on that continent. Specific details on the two companies’ agreement were not given, but they said in a joint release that their new venture will benefit from Agropur’s commercial and industrial […] Read more
Headline cleared for crown rust in oats
BASF Canada’s strobilurin fungicide Headline has picked up approval for control of crown rust in oats crops in Canada. Headline, which carries the active ingredient pyraclostrobin, is best applied immediately after flag leaf emergence in cereals at a recommended rate of 120 to 160 mL per acre, the company said in a release. Crown rust […] Read more
NDP, ag minister defeated in Sask.
Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party made long-sought gains outside the usual rural strongholds of its namesake province to win Wednesday’s provincial election, taking several key seats from Lorne Calvert’s New Democrats, including their agriculture minister’s. The NDP’s Mark Wartman, a United Church minister, MLA since 1999 and minister for agriculture and food since 2004, was declared […] Read more
Farmers can save Clearfield wheat seed
Prairie wheat growers who grow BASF’s Clearfield wheat can save their harvested seed to plant as many future crops as they wish, starting in 2008. The seed and chemical company outlined its new plans for the Clearfield production system for wheat in a release Wednesday. Clearfield wheat is bred for tolerance to BASF’s herbicides Altitude […] Read more
“Dysfunctional” markets caused livestock price drop: NFU
A livestock marketplace in which a few large corporations “heavily influence” both the farm gate and retail prices paid for livestock and meat have led to the collapse in returns to livestock producers, the National Farmers Union said Tuesday. The rising value of the Canadian dollar against U.S. currency is “just a small factor” in […] Read more
Potato biogas plant could kill feed source: CBC
Cattlemen on Prince Edward Island fear they could lose a cheap feed source when the Irving Group’s Cavendish Farms potato plant starts using its peelings to generate biogas for heating. P.E.I. Cattlemen’s Association president Darlene Sanford told CBC News on Wednesday that most cattlemen in the province use potato waste from processors as feed for […] Read more
Ottawa backs Alta. biodiesel plant with $639K
Western Biodiesel, a 19 million-litre-per-year biodiesel project using canola oil and rendered beef tallow, has picked up $638,559 in federal funding toward the $8 million project cost. The project at Aldersyde, just south of Calgary, will also get $275,000 in direct equity investment from farmers, the federal government noted in a release Tuesday. The funding […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
