U.S. food processing giant Kraft Heinz is taking one step back from the Canadian dairy processing business with a deal to sell its eastern Ontario cheese plant and the brands made there. The company announced Nov. 6 it has a deal in hand to sell its Canadian “natural cheese” business and its cheese plant at […] Read more

Parmalat to buy Kraft’s Ontario cheese plant, brands

Ceres lands tenant for Niagara-area grain elevator
A former Robin Hood flour mill repurposed as an export grain elevator in the Niagara region will devote the bulk of its capacity to a new tenant starting next summer. Minneapolis-based Ceres Global Ag Corp. announced Tuesday it has a new long-term storage and handling agreement in place with London Agricultural Commodities (LAC). The agreement […] Read more

La Coop federee’s Ontario grain play cleared
La Coop federee’s plans to expand into southern Ontario’s grain handling and crop input retail sectors are now down by four retail sites. The federal Competition Bureau said Tuesday it has an agreement in place for its approval of a deal which will see Cargill’s Ontario grain and ag retail outlets and its joint-venture stake […] Read more

New Brunswick ag, fisheries files remarried
New Brunswick’s incoming minority Progressive Conservative government will again have one minister handling the province’s agriculture and aquaculture files. Premier Blaine Higgs on Friday announced Gagetown-Petitcodiac MLA Ross Wetmore as his minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries. Wetmore, 65, replaces Andrew Harvey and Benoit Bourque, who had handled the agriculture and fisheries portfolios respectively on […] Read more

Self-checking field health mapping system launched
The farmer’s job of poring over satellite field maps looking for disease, weed and insect trouble is about to go automatic. Winnipeg-based digital ag consulting firm Farmers Edge recently released Health Change Maps and Notifications, a new function that automatically scans the company’s daily satellite imagery and alerts growers of any changes in field health […] Read more

CN’s grain handle up in record quarter
Traffic in Canadian National Railway’s grain and fertilizers segment rose eight per cent in its latest quarter, helping the company to record quarterly revenue. Montreal-based CN on Oct. 23 reported net income of $1.134 billion on $3.688 billion in revenues for its quarter ending Sept. 30, up from $958 million on $3.221 billion in its […] Read more

Grain handle down slightly in record quarter for CP
Grain carloads were marginally fewer but grain revenue per carload climbed 10 per cent to help Canadian Pacific Railway to its highest quarterly revenue ever. Calgary-based CP on Oct. 18 booked net income of $622 million on $1.898 billion in revenues — its “highest ever (revenues) for any quarter” — in its third quarter ending […] Read more

La Coop federee to rebrand agribusiness arm
Crop and livestock producers dealing with the agribusiness division of Quebec’s La Coop federee can expect to see a new name in the game early next year. La Coop announced Sept. 25 it will change the name of the division — which today operates under the Elite and La Coop brand names — to Sollio […] Read more

CAQ taps businessman as Quebec’s new ag minister
Quebec’s new governing party has turned to one of its more experienced MNAs to handle the farm file. Premier Francois Legault on Thursday named Andre Lamontagne, a businessman and former supermarket owner and the MNA for the southwestern riding of Johnson, as his minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, and as minister responsible for the […] Read more

Farm Forum Event under new management
The company behind Canada’s two biggest outdoor farm shows is expanding to the great indoors as the new operator of another well known Canadian farm industry event. Glacier FarmMedia announced Monday it has acquired and will assume management of the Farm Forum Event, an annual professional development event for farmers, starting with its 20th anniversary […] Read more