Towns rebuilding | Money will assist with erosion control and infrastructure projects
The Alberta government has set aside $20 million to help restore damaged lands in flood-ravaged communities. The money is directed at municipalities to implement erosion control and restore land for structural and public safety. Specific details on what kind of work is needed will be finalized later this summer. For many rural municipalities this mitigation […] Read moreNews
$20M will assist flood damaged Alta. communities
Battles over COOL rules heat up as U.S. files motion
The battle over mandatory country-of-origin labelling is heating up as American attorneys filed a late motion Aug. 9 asking a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to refuse to issue an order that would block implementation of COOL regulations. The judge set Aug. 27 to hear oral arguments on the motion to block the rules, […] Read more
Stampede disqualification to be appealed
Steer owners claim no wrongdoing | Prize steer received pain medication on vet’s approval
Owners of the winning steer disqualified for drug use from the Calgary Stampede Steer Classic competition plan to appeal. Riley Chalack and Royden Anderson said they followed the rules and a Calgary Stampede accredited veterinarian’s recommendations to use the painkiller Banamine on their show steer and shouldn’t be penalized. “If the vet said it’s OK […] Read moreBiotechnology conference to take practical approach
The word biotechnology is often associated with genetically modified organisms but the industry is out to show it is more than that. The Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference planned for Sept. 15-18 in Calgary hopes to draw about 300 scientists, agribusiness and farmers who want to learn more about how to feed the estimated nine billion […] Read more
Agrium optimistic input demand will offset dip in profit caused by cool spring
(Reuters) — Canadian fertilizer company Agrium Inc. reported a fall in quarterly profit Aug. 7 due to an unusually cold spring in North America, but said it expected strong demand for crop inputs for the rest of the year. Unseasonably cool weather in the U.S. Midwest this spring compressed the usual time period for farmers […] Read more
Outlook for edible beans bullish, says special crops merchandiser
Premium prices Small acres and Argentine crop failure should create favourable prices
MORDEN, Man. — Farmers with the guts to grow edible beans this year should get a bellyful of good prices this year, says a leading exporter of the crops. Low acres in the North American bean belt and devastation of the crop in Argentina add up to big prices and good demand. “Most varieties look […] Read moreTests underway on Yara’s sulfur, nitrogen laden fertilizer
INDIAN HEAD, Sask. — A new fertilizer product from Yara is being tested at three Saskatchewan re-search sites this year. Amidas is a 40-0-0-5.5 granular product with nitrogen and sulfate in every granule. The company said it is the only commercially available granular fertilizer in Western Canada that offers this unique analysis. The nitrogen-sulfur ratio […] Read more
Potash shakeup has some questioning BHP plans
Analysts, industry disagree | Some analysts say mine expansion is no longer viable yet companies are forging ahead
Some fertilizer industry analysts say the demise of a Black Sea potash cartel spells the end to BHP Billiton’s massive Jansen mine project. Patricia Mohr, vice-president of economics with Scotiabank, expects potash prices to drift towards $350 US per tonne during the next six to 12 months, down from June highs of $417.50 per tonne. […] Read moreCargill to buy Australian malt firm from Glencore
Joe White Maltings | Cargill will expand its dominant position in malting barley with addition of seven Australian plants
Another piece of Viterra’s former global grain empire has been auctioned off. Officials from Cargill announced earlier this week that they have reached a deal with Switzerland-based GlencoreXstrata to purchase Joe White Maltings, the largest malting company in Australia. Joe White Maltings, which consists of seven malting plants in Australia, was previously owned by Viterra. […] Read moreCorn distillers grain shows slight advantage over wheat
Protein supplements, including distillers grain, will increase feed intake and nutrient use in backgrounded feeder cattle, a study confirms. In research funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council, Agriculture Canada researchers Wenzhu Yang and Karen Beauchemin compared canola meal and wheat and corn distillers grain from a fractionation process. They found that feeder cattle increased […] Read more
