Canada’s largest margarine manufacturer, supported by prairie oilseed producers, wants Canada’s highest court to force Quebec to allow yellow margarine onto store shelves. The province is Canada’s last bastion of white margarine, once a national staple because the dairy industry had convinced provincial governments that vegetable oil-based spread should not be butter coloured. It would […] Read more
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Quebec margarine stays white
Fungal disease appears first time in Canada
A harvest survey found the disease club root in more than a dozen widely separated canola fields around Edmonton this year. “It is there at low levels,” said Murray Hartman of Alberta Agriculture. Club root is a fungus that infects plants in the cole family, such as cabbage, turnips and rutabaga. Canola is also in […] Read more
Breeders tout Salers benefits
Canadian Salers breeders think it’s time the livestock industry took another look at their cattle. Thirty years after Salers first appeared in Canada, their numbers still are not large. At this year’s Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, the national show was one of the smallest with about 50 entries. Twelve animals sold in the sale […] Read more
Pulse processors must be nimble
One of the biggest buyers of Canadian pulses says the days of big premiums for desi chickpeas are long gone. Peter Wilson, president of J.K. International Pty Ltd., said India, which he described as the engine room of the pulse industry, has curtailed its purchases of chickpeas in favour of another crop. “The yellow pea […] Read more
Research opens new lentil frontier
Prairie lentil production has been centred in the dark brown soil zone because the growing season is too short in the black and grey soils, and the soil is often too wet for production of high quality seed. A recent project, however, has developed lentil agronomic packages that could extend lentil production beyond the traditional […] Read more
Alta. offers corporate BSE relief
Corporate businesses unable to pay their taxes because of bovine spongiform encephalopathy can apply to the Alberta government for interest relief on their overdue taxes. “Alberta Revenue will consider requests for relief from interest on corporate income taxes if the corporation is unable to pay its tax due to market conditions resulting from BSE,” said […] Read more
Yellow canola seed ‘exciting’
Canada’s canola crop is already known for the bright yellow hue its flowers lend to the prairie landscape every summer. Before too many years have passed, the plant’s oil-laden and meal-rich black seed could match that golden colour. Agriculture Canada scientists said last week that after decades of effort, they have finally developed a genetically […] Read more
Peas may be used as feed more often
Pea marketers have to use their heads to figure out how to sell more product to creatures with tails. That was the message two University of Saskatchewan feed researchers delivered at the Processing for Profit conference held in Saskatoon Dec. 3. They said there is a vast and largely untapped potential for peas in hog […] Read more
Grain firms pay more for tenders
When something is in short supply, it becomes more valuable. That basic law of economics seems to be affecting the Canadian Wheat Board’s grain transportation tenders this year. The board is shipping a substantially smaller portion of its sales program under commercial tenders in 2003-04. That reduction in volume has been accompanied by a big […] Read more
Farming not paying bills
The net farm contribution to farm family income in 2000 was less than one dollar in five. Even on the largest, most business-focused farms, the majority of family income came from off-farm sources. The gap is widening between family income earned on the farm and off the farm. There is evidence that foreigners with capital […] Read more
