Mary MacArthur

The Canadian beef industry got a wake-up call last week when potentially deadly E. coli bacteria were found in a shipment of ground beef from a Canadian plant. A random sample of the shipment of boxed beef from Lakeside Packers in southern Alberta destined for the United States was checked at the border and tested […] Read more

Elevators are popping across the Prairies faster than gophers can dig holes. Cargill has started work on its $11 million farm service centre in Rycroft. The Peace River country concrete elevator will have almost 20,000 tonnes of storage capacity, a grain cleaning and drying facility and an initial rail spot for 52 cars with room […] Read more

EDMONTON – It will take more than lower wages to make the Canadian pork industry competitive with the United States, said a report released this week by an agricultural think tank. “Wage rates are not a silver bullet,” Ron Ball told a news conference called to release a report by the George Morris Centre on […] Read more

VEGREVILLE, Alta. – There soon may be some olfactory relief for neighbors next to giant hog barns or sour gas flares thanks to a bit of peat moss and a little bacteria. The distinct hog smell causing grief for farmers wanting to establish mega hog barns or neighbors living next to one may soon be […] Read more

VEGREVILLE, Alta. – Farmers may soon have help in fighting blackleg, one of the most devastating canola diseases. Scientists at the Alberta Research Centre in Vegreville have isolated a bacterium that kills blackleg in the lab and reduces the disease on the plant. Prem Kharbanda said they are working on two ways to introduce the […] Read more

VEGREVILLE, Alta. – Farmers are being encouraged to walk their fields and count the weeds before automatically grabbing a pail of herbicide each spring. Herbicide resistance in weeds is growing at an alarming rate and researchers are looking at alternatives to herbicides to slow the building resistance, said a senior research scientist at the Alberta […] Read more

Banks are showing increased interest in investments through the agriculture venture capital industry. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, one of the country’s largest banks, has invested $300,000 in Agrivest Capital Corporation and will join the company’s board of directors. The marriage is a result of discussions with a number of banks interested in involvement […] Read more

Railink is building its regional railroad one track at a time. The Edmonton-based company announced its two wholly owned subsidiaries of Quebec Railway Corporation have agreed in principle to buy a 401-kilometre line between Moncton, N.B. and Mont-Joli, Que. The deal is expected to close by December. The line handles 35,000 carloads of traffic each […] Read more

EDMONTON – The provincial government should take the lead role in promoting agriculture as a viable career choice, members of Olds College told an Alberta agriculture caucus committee. “Somebody has got to take the leadership role. Nobody is presenting the picture of agriculture as a good career opportunity,” said Bob Lockwood, vice-president of academic services […] Read more

Alberta has signed an agreement with China to help expand its commercial livestock industry. The beef technical agreement is intended to assist the Chinese in expanding its commercial livestock industry and provide Alberta companies and beef producers with better access to the Chinese market, said a government news release. The agreement was signed in Beijing […] Read more