The Quebec government will put up $15 million over five years for a competitiveness and innovation program for the province’s agri-food sector. The funding, announced Saturday by Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard at the annual meeting of the province’s food processors’ council (CTAC), is meant to support processors’ research and development projects for products in line […] Read more
Quebec pledges $15M for food innovation
Funding eyed for Sask. cellulosic ethanol plant
The federal NextGen Biofuels Fund has sent Ottawa enzyme maker Iogen’s funding application for a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol pilot plant in Saskatchewan to the “due diligence” phase. The decision brings Iogen’s proposal “one step closer to making our country’s first full-scale cellulosic ethanol fuel facility a reality,” federal Environment Minister John Baird said in a […] Read more
Que. ag minister orders pork industry meeting
Quebec Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard has called a meeting for next week with representatives of the province’s pork processors and hog producers to find out their next move, after talks toward a revival for the battered sector went bust. Lessard, in a news release Friday, said he was strongly disappointed that talks led by his […] Read more
Soybean inoculants approved for West
The inoculant maker formerly known as Philom Bios has picked up registration to market TagTeam Soybean and N-Prove Soybean liquid inoculants in Western Canada. Novozymes BioAg — as the Saskatoon firm was named after it sold itself to Danish enzyme firm Novozymes late last year — said its TagTeam Soybean liquid inoculant will only be […] Read more
Agropur buys Lamothe dairy
Dairy co-op Agropur plans to make inroads in the Centre-du-Quebec and organic milk markets by buying Laitierie Lamothe, a Drummondville, Que. dairy. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed in the company’s announcement Friday, other than that the Lamothe operations will join the Agropur division Natrel, billed as “a Canadian leader in fluid milk and value-added […] Read more
Agrium extends UAP offer, again
Fertilizer firm Agrium has extended its offer to buy U.S. ag retailer UAP for a fourth time while it works toward approval from U.S. antitrust regulators. The US$39-per-share offer, which was most recently extended to March 14, will now be open until midnight (ET), April 30, during which time the company hopes to resolve what […] Read more
P.E.I.’s FoodTrust up for sale
FoodTrust, a non-profit, Crown-owned marketer of Prince Edward Island potatoes and blueberries, is for sale, the province announced Friday. The P.E.I. government, which established FoodTrust in 2001, has put out an invitation for “expressions of interest” from the private sector through accounting firm Grant Thornton. FoodTrust delivers bulk P.E.I. potatoes to over 300 stores in […] Read more
Biotech safflower moves toward new food market
A Calgary plant biotech company’s safflowers, already heading toward use as potential factories for new drugs, are part of a new marketing deal for their use in making food supplements. SemBioSys Genetics has previously modified its safflower lines to produce human insulin and a next-generation cardiovascular drug with a goal to commercialize both. The company […] Read more
Sask. hog farmers get new AgriStability TAP
Hog farmers in Saskatchewan will be offered early access to their expected 2008 AgriStability payout under a Targeted Advance Payment (TAP) program announced Thursday. Eligible producers will be contacted “soon” with information on the amounts of their advances and how to receive those payments, the federal agriculture department said in a release. The 2008 program […] Read more
B.C. tightens rules for farm labour contractors
Contractors who provide workers for British Columbia farms could lose their licenses for safety violations under legislation introduced Thursday. Labour Minister Olga Ilich on Thursday introduced amendments to the provincial Employment Standards Act which provide for a farm labour contractor’s license to be cancelled or suspended for violations of WorkSafeBC or Motor Vehicle Act regulations. […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
