
Machinery

U.S. to boost biofuel mandates over next three years
Biofuel groups still feel shortchanged
Reuters — The Biden administration on Wednesday increased the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the United States’ fuel mix over the next three years, but the plan has angered the biofuel industry, which says mandates for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel are not high enough. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized […] Read more

Farm groups push for Bill C-234 passage
Ag groups concerned that carbon tax exemption bill won’t clear Senate before break
Prairie farm groups are pushing the Senate to prioritize a bill that would exempt propane and natural gas for grain drying and barn heating from carbon tax. In a joint statement June 13, Keystone Agricultural Producers, the Alberta Federation of Agriculture and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan urged the Senate to pass Bill C-234 […] Read more

Bunge deal for Viterra to boost oilseed dominance, renewable diesel potential
Canada's Competition Bureau pledges to review deal
Chicago | Reuters — Bunge’s planned acquisition of Viterra would make the world’s biggest oilseed crusher even more dominant and secure a larger role in the expanding renewable diesel industry, although it may face competition hurdles. Under the deal to create an agricultural giant worth about $34 billion including debt, Bunge’s crushing capacity will increase […] Read more

Degelman buys grain bagging, milling equipment firm Renn
Alberta equipment maker's staff to continue with Degelman
Regina ag implement maker Degelman Industries has bought into the grain bagging and grain milling equipment business with a deal for Alberta manufacturer Renn Mill Center. Degelman, in a release Thursday, said it recently bought the Lacombe, Alta. company for an undisclosed sum and will keep Renn’s existing employees and management in place. In business […] Read more

Extent of Saudi oil production cut unclear
Reported tensions within OPEC limit price gains
MarketsFarm — At the OPEC+ meeting Sunday in Vienna, Saudi Arabia announced it will cut its oil production by one million barrels per day (BPD) come July. And while that move was bullish for the markets, by how much remains to be seen, said Phil Flynn of the Price Futures Group in Chicago. “It’s probably […] Read more

Animal care council won’t update livestock transport code of practice
NFACC says 'no further action' pending
After over four years’ publicly funded work to develop an updated national code of practice for livestock transport for Canada, the National Farm Animal Care Council has called a halt. In an information update dated May 1, NFACC said its board has now decided “no further action will be taken” by the council to update […] Read more

Canada’s combine sales up in April
Small tractor sales drag on total retail movement
Retail sales of combines in both Canada and the U.S. showed a marked increase in April this year while the market for sub-compact tractors continues to soften, new data shows. The count for April 2023 from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) puts self-propelled combine sales in Canada at 166, up 50.9 per cent from […] Read more

Ford to keep AM radio, CEO says
Amid rising concerns, Canada's premier automaker will not drop AM
Ford Motor Co. has gone back on its plan to phase AM radio out of its vehicles. Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement Tuesday via Twitter, after company officials said last month that AM would be dropped from new non-commercial vehicles. “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as […] Read more

Agco, Kubota sign onto U.S. right-to-repair pledge
Firms join Deere, CNH in pacts with Farm Bureau
Two more major ag equipment makers have signed onto a framework that would grant farmers and independent repair shops in the United States reasonable access to the means to repair their machines. The Washington, D.C.-based American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) on Monday announced it had reached memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with equipment firms Agco and […] Read more

Potential loss of AM radio in vehicles a concern for farmers
Many farmers rely on AM range, signal; U.S. lawmakers launch legislation
Canadian farmers are expressing concern about the possibility of their access to AM radio disappearing. Ford, which has been Canada’s best-selling auto brand since 2009, has stated it plans to stop putting AM radios in non-commercial vehicles by 2024. The automaker’s decision follows those of companies such as Tesla, Mazda and Volkswagen, which have removed […] Read more