Flooding aftermath | Rural municipalities are considering public-private funding model to address infrastructure shortfall
Representatives of Saskatchewan’s rural municipalities recently passed a resolution asking the provincial government to increase its funding caps on infrastructure. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, which met in Saskatoon Nov. 13-14, wants the annual cap for road and bridge construction maintenance increased to $1 million from $750,000. Ongoing wet years and excessive rainfall are […] Read moreNews
Sask. RMs want more money for infrastructure
Hog producers see profits, but tougher times ahead
U.S. production rebounding after PED | Analysts tell producers to increase management efficiency and prepare for tighter margins next year
Lower feed costs and higher hog prices mean this year should be one for the record books, says an industry official. However, there are signs that smaller margins are on the horizon. “I’ve been in the industry since 1975 and this is far and away the most profitable year we’ve had over that time period,” […] Read more
Celebration of agriculture marred by vandals with paint
TORONTO, Ont. — Animal rights activists may have picked a poor target if they vandalized pickups and livestock trailers at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair earlier this month. “If it was activists, and we’re not 100 percent sure, they’re not bettering their cause by doing this,” said Sarah Brien, a spokesperson with Farm and Food […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus picks ex-Viterra head Mayo Schmidt as new CEO
By Gus Trompiz PARIS, Nov 28 (Reuters) – Louis Dreyfus Commodities named Mayo Schmidt, former head of Canadian grain handler Viterra, as its new chief executive in the latest stage of a corporate shake-up at the 163-year-old global trading firm. Louis Dreyfus, one of a quartet of “ABCD” companies that dominate agricultural commodity trading alongside […] Read more
VIDEO: Students get career ideas at Agribition
More than 200 Saskatchewan high school students attended Canadian Western Agribition this week to learn about how agriculture might fit into their future plans. A new ThinkAG career and education expo, funded by the provincial and federal governments and Cargill, was designed to showcase the diversity of available careers. Provincial agriculture minister Lyle Stewart said […] Read more
U.S. to appeal WTO’s COOL ruling
The United States will appeal the most recent World Trade Organization decision on country-of-origin labelling, a decision that was in Canada’s favour. The appeal was fully expected by the Canadian cattle and pork industries but nevertheless comes as a disappointment because it will delay any resolution to the trade issue until at least next year. […] Read more
No word from feds on grain target extension
Ottawa is offering few hints about whether or not it intends to renew an order requiring Canada’s major railway companies to move a million tonnes of grain per week. A federal order requiring Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway to move a million tonnes of grain and oilseeds per week or face fines as […] Read more
Royal ‘better than Christmas’ for participant
TORONTO — There are places in Canada where rural communities have faltered. The neighbourhoods where Nicole Shelley and Janice Kyle reside are not among them. Neither is the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. “It’s a large part of who we are. My mom and dad actually met down here and were engaged. My mom was very […] Read more
Spring floods appear likely in Sask.
Record rainfall in Saskatchewan this spring and summer is causing concern heading into winter freeze-up. The Water Security Agency said last week that some parts of the province are wetter than they were in the record-setting fall of 2010. Rainfall amounted to 150 to 200 percent of normal across most of the province, particularly during […] Read more
Lack of capital to blame: Broadacre
Broadacre Agriculture’s creditors will get paid and the company’s shareholders will walk away with some assets, says the company’s chief executive officer. “We have $14 million worth of crop that we’re marketing now and we own a bunch of land, so we have equity,” said Gary Pike, who is one of the firm’s founders. The […] Read more
