Changes to Canadian dairy supply management in the final text of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement give up oversight of the system to the U.S., Canada’s dairy farmer group warns. The trade deal, signed Friday in Buenos Aires by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexico’s outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto, now goes […] Read more

USMCA costs Canada sovereignty in ag policy, critics warn

Four Eastern wheats to be reclassified in July
Four classes of Canada Eastern wheat are set to be reclassified in mid-2019 into a new “Other” class, to cut the costs of segregating grain during commercial handling. The Canadian Grain Commission announced Thursday a new Canada Eastern Other Wheat (CEOW) class will be created effective July 1, 2019. At that time, the Canada Eastern […] Read more

CFIA warns on California romaine lettuce
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is advising lettuce buyers such as retailers and restaurants not to sell, serve or import romaine lettuce from parts of California tied to the latest E. coli outbreak. The warning follows an announcement Monday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its preliminary traceback shows people sickened by […] Read more

Maple Leaf to consolidate Ontario poultry processing
A new $660 million plant at London, Ont. will house Maple Leaf Foods’ Ontario fresh poultry processing operations by mid-2021 as the food processing firm prepares to shut three older facilities. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Monday it will build a 640,000-square foot plant at London, billed as “one of the most technologically advanced poultry-processing plants […] Read more

Major grocers pull romaine lettuce nationwide
Despite seeing no evidence yet of nationwide contamination, several major Canadian grocers are pulling romaine lettuce from sale across Canada in the wake of E. coli-related illness outbreaks in three provinces. Loblaw Companies announced Wednesday it was recalling and removing from its store shelves across the country all romaine lettuce products “out of an abundance […] Read more

Deere mega-dealership buys into Red Deer market
A central Alberta John Deere dealership which billed itself as “one of the few independently owned” dealers in the region is set to join Cervus Equipment. Calgary-based, publicly-traded Cervus announced Friday it will buy Red Deer-based Deermart Equipment Sales for an undisclosed sum. Deermart, owned by John Donald, Jack Donald and Abe Derksen since 1982, […] Read more

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

Winter Cereals Manitoba now in on amalgamation plan
A possible union between four Manitoba commodity grower groups has a new fifth player on deck. Winter Cereals Manitoba Inc. (WCMI) announced Thursday its chair, Doug Martin, and director Allan Olinyk will join a steering committee made up of directors and staff from the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National […] Read more

Port authority clears new West Coast terminal
Work is expected to start within two weeks on a new port grain terminal expected to improve rail efficiency for grain shipments to Canada’s West Coast. Prairie grain handler Parrish and Heimbecker announced Thursday it’s “moving forward” with the Fraser Grain Terminal project as proposed in late 2016, after receiving approval for its project permit […] Read more

Gardiner Dam Terminal set to go full Viterra
The farmers who own half of central Saskatchewan’s Gardiner Dam Terminal have reached a deal to sell their half to their business partner and wind up the company. Glencore Agriculture’s Viterra arm announced Friday it will buy the half of GDT it doesn’t already own and take over operation of the GDT inland grain terminal […] Read more