Carlyle Jorgensen was driving down a gravel road near his farm by Cromer, Man., last winter when he detected the bitter odour of petroleum. A short distance away Jorgensen discovered an oil spill in the ditch alongside the road. After taking a close look at the spill of oil and saltwater, Jorgensen realized it was […] Read more
News
Intentional spill has farmer looking for new enforcement rules
Producers must be open to change
Anyone making a living farming today is a successful businessperson. Being good at production isn’t enough. You must innovate and adopt new technology, improve efficiency and manage budgets and risks on a scale unimaginable even a couple of decades ago. The danger is that it’s easy to become complacent. In a rapidly changing world, sticking […] Read more
Brazilian ethanol producer adopts Iogen technology
Canadian plans scrapped | Partners eyeing new plant in Brazil
A Brazilian ethanol giant is investing in a cellulosic ethanol project with Iogen Energy. Iogen is an Ottawa technology company that devoted the better part of the 2000s trying to build a plant in Western Canada with its business partner, Royal Dutch Shell. Shell said in April it was scrapping plans to build a 40 […] Read moreIrrigation proponent optimistic
Roger Pederson thinks big things are about to happen for Saskatchewan irrigators. Two government reports issued last week give the Outlook farmer and president of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association (SIPA) hope that sustained development is finally in the works. The province’s 25-year water security plan and a growth plan for the next eight years […] Read more
Saskatchewan makes big plans for ag as it charts future
2020 target | Government to develop crop research and development strategy to increase production by 10 million tonnes
Rural Saskatchewan has its work cut out for it if a provincial growth plan announced last week by premier Brad Wall is to be successful. As the home of the province’s economic engines — agriculture, energy and mining — rural activity figures prominently in the plan to increase the population to 1.2 million, cut debt […] Read moreCattle processing sees consolidation, challenges
Bigger, faster, stronger | XL Foods processes a large share of Canada’s beef but is now involved in the biggest recall in the country’s history
In the mid-1960s, Garnet Altwasser was running a feed mill in Brooks, Alta., and Don Danard was selling 5,000 cattle per day at the Edmonton Stockyards. Altwasser, along with partners Jim Wilfley and Tor Wigemyr, went on to build Lakeside Packers and Danard became a pioneer in internet cattle marketing at the Calgary Stockyards. The […] Read moreRising Canadian dollar linked to poor hog production profits
The rising Canadian dollar is largely to blame for financial problems in the hog industry, say producers both past and present. They acknowledge the more recent factors of the U.S. drought and high feed costs that are resulting in losses of up to $50 per pig, but few let the 65 cent dollar of the […] Read more
Supply management debated
Pros, cons | Evidence points to need to examine system: conference board
Dairy Farmers of Canada executive director Richard Doyle and the Conference Board of Canada agree on one thing: Canada’s regulated and protectionist dairy supply management system is one of a kind. They disagree on whether that is a good or bad thing. “The continued presence of this policy has contributed to stagnating production, reduced Canada’s […] Read moreChanges sought to CGC with federal budget
In the middle of a massive soup-to-nuts budget implementation bill, the Conservative government is proposing to enact sweeping changes to the way the Canadian Grain Commission operates. It will receive little parliamentary attention because it is a small part of a 400 page budget bill that will likely be approved within months. Critics are crying […] Read more
Customers eager to see new rail rules take effect
Shippers seek service agreements | Railways say binding third party arbitration could be “a dangerous path to follow”
Lobby efforts are intensifying as the railways and their customers await new rail legislation expected to be introduced by the federal government later this year. Officials with Transport Canada say Ottawa remains committed to tabling a bill this fall that will give shippers a legislated right to sign commercial service level agreements (SLAs) with the […] Read more
