The size of Canada’s cattle herd is still in decline and almost a quarter smaller than its peak in 2005, Statistics Canada reports. The federal statistics agency on Thursday released estimates showing the herd at 13 million cattle on farms on July 1 this year, down 2.1 per cent from the same date in 2014. […] Read more

Cattle herd still shrinking in StatsCan estimates

Ardent to buy major Ontario soft wheat mill
The owner of Canada’s Robin Hood flour mills is poised to buy the biggest soft wheat milling operation in the country. Ardent Mills, the joint North American flour venture of agrifood giants Cargill, CHS Inc. and ConAgra, announced Thursday it will buy the former Kraft Milling operation in Mississauga, Ont. from Mondelez Canada for an […] Read more

Ex-Viterra chief to take Ontario’s Hydro One public
The chief executive who morphed Saskatchewan Wheat Pool from a debt-crushed grain handler into Viterra, then oversaw its sale to Glencore, has been tapped to take Ontario’s Crown-owned power utility public. Toronto-based Hydro One on Thursday announced Mayo Schmidt as its new president and CEO effective Sept. 3, replacing Carmine Marcello. “We believe that Mr. […] Read more

History: Ad McPherson, Oldtimer of ’69, Pt.2
Reprinted from the November 1949 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Ad McPherson, Oldtimer of ’69 (concluding installment) By W.M. Bleasdell Cameron, Meadow Lake, Sask. ‘One winter Ad teamed up with Charlie Smith to go “wolfing” at Big Valley, the location of the present town of that name. Beside provisions, their outfit included among other things their rifles, tools, duffle, moccasins, bedding and an enormous supply […] Read more

Tumour surgery to sideline CN chief
The CEO of Canada’s biggest rail network expects to be off work until late fall for surgery and radiation treatments on a precancerous tumour. Canadian National Railway’s (CN) chief executive Claude Mongeau said Wednesday he expects to have surgery either near the end of this month or early in September, to remove a rare type […] Read more

History: Ad McPherson, Oldtimer of ’69, Pt.1
Reprinted from the October 1949 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Ad McPherson, Oldtimer of ’69 By W.M. Bleasdell Cameron, Meadow Lake, Sask. ‘On a hot July day in 1881 I dropped into a wooden restaurant in the wooden town of Winnipeg and sat down at a wooden table with a magenta cover. Opposite me sat a compactly-built, red-faced man of medium height who somehow reminded […] Read more

Over-the-border canola crusher gets new owner
A major canola crush plant that faced an unclear future just south of the Canada/U.S. border has a new owner in one of the States’ top agribusinesses. Ag co-operative CHS Inc. last week sealed its deal to buy Northstar Agri Industries at Hallock, Minnesota, about 40 km southeast of Manitoba’s main U.S. border crossing at Emerson. The Northstar […] Read more

N.S. halts local-level biomass, wind power plan
Nova Scotia is ending its feed-in tariff program that pays local-level groups to generate power from biomass, wind and other renewable sources. Energy Minister Michel Samson said Thursday a provincial review of the community feed-in tariff (COMFIT) program shows it’s “at a point where the program could begin to have a negative impact on power […] Read more

Avian flu controls lifted in 10 U.S. states
U.S. animal health officials have closed the books for now on avian influenza infections in 10 states, with five others remaining. In its latest report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last week, the U.S. federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said all control areas for avian flu have been released […] Read more

Alta. cuts ranchers’ water pump rental fees
Ranchers and farmers renting the Alberta ag ministry’s pumps and pipes to move water for livestock watering and domestic use in dry areas may now get the equipment for half the going rate. The province announced Thursday it will cut the rental fees charged under its annual Water Pumping Program, through which producers, or groups […] Read more