The CEO who stitched Viterra together from Canada’s Prairie pools has been named to lead Louis Dreyfus’ global commodities business. Mayo Schmidt was announced Friday as the new CEO of Louis Dreyfus Commodities (LDC), the “D” of the four “ABCD” companies dominating the global grain business. Schmidt takes the reins at Rotterdam-based Dreyfus effective Jan. […] Read more

Ex-Viterra CEO to lead Dreyfus’ commodities business

U.S. to appeal latest WTO loss on COOL
Canada will have to wait up to three more months before it can impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods over Washington’s mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law on meat from imported livestock. The U.S. government on Friday filed a notice of appeal against the latest ruling by a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel, which last […] Read more

Hi-Pro buying, shutting Lethbridge feed mill
The livestock feed business in southern Alberta is set for consolidation as feed miller Hi-Pro Feeds moves to buy, then close, a fellow feed mill. Hi-Pro, the former feed milling business of grain handler Viterra, announced Wednesday it’s bought New-Life Mills’ Lethbridge feed plant for an undisclosed sum, will hire three New-Life employees and will […] Read more

Rail engineers, conductors seek mediation with CP
With just over a month before their contract expires, rail engineers and conductors represented by the Teamsters Union want a mediator to restart “stalled” bargaining with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) said Friday it has filed a mediation request with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). “The negotiations have […] Read more

Ontario proposes deep cuts to farmers’ neonic use by 2017
Ontario’s new goal to ban most use of neonicotinoid pesticides in corn and soybean crops by 2017 has yielded bouquets from the province’s beekeepers — but left crop growers feeling stung. Following up on Premier Kathleen Wynne’s orders to her agriculture and environment ministers in their mandate letters in September, the province on Tuesday announced it will consult on […] Read more
Alta. Wildrose ag critic joins Tories
The agriculture and rural development critic for Alberta’s official Wildrose opposition has crossed the floor to the governing Tories. Little Bow MLA Ian Donovan announced his defection from the Wildrose on Monday to the Progressive Conservatives alongside Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Kerry Towle, Wildrose’s critic for human services and seniors. “In order to maintain my integrity, […] Read more
Canada’s reindeer range
History pages from the March 1948 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Canada’s Reindeer Range by Harry Hargrave, Experimental Station, Swift Current, Sask. ‘Sunday, July 20th, 1947, was a fine, clear day at Aklavik, N.W.T., when we took off in a pontoon-equipped Stinson Voyageur plane and headed for the Reindeer Station – headquarters for Canada’s Reindeer Industry. En Route to the Station, which is 42 airline miles […] Read more
Farm websites earn national honours
Farm Business Communications’ ventures in cyberspace have earned national honours for the Winnipeg farm publishing house at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The awards, presented Thursday in Toronto in an event organized by Canadian media magazine Masthead, go to websites in three divisions: Blue (scholarly, farm, business-to-business), Red (consumer) and Green (news media). Four of […] Read more

VIDEO: High density cattle grazing
Circle H Ranch uses temporary fences, wires to manage pasture grazing
Along with his family, Brian Harper runs a cow-calf and breeding stock operation at Circle H farms, just west of Brandon, Man. Earlier this year, Harper started a high density grazing program for his cattle using temporary fences and wires within an eight-acre paddock. An automatic gate opening system set to open at specific times of the […] Read more
Man. farmers to get compensation for swamped land
Farmers around southern Manitoba’s Portage Diversion whose fields were submerged by the province’s flood-control efforts this summer can expect some compensation. The province on Wednesday pledged up to $1.15 million to compensate growers following last summer’s use of the Portage Diversion to help regulate water flow and protect rural and urban residents along the Assiniboine […] Read more