Canada’s two biggest railway companies have been ordered to surrender nearly $9 million in excess revenue and another $450,000 in fines because they exceeded their maximum revenue entitlements for moving western Canadian grain the 2014-15 crop year. In a Dec. 29 ruling, the Canada Transportation Agency ordered Canadian National Railway to pay more than $7.2 […] Read more
Tag Archives transportation
Proper animal transport guidelines good investment for livestock producers
Good drivers make a difference in the welfare and handling of cull cattle being transported to processing facilities
RED DEER — Dairy producers who ship cull cows to market should always hire companies whose drivers are trained in livestock handling. These animals need special care because they are often old, weak and thin and may not have the stamina for a long journey, said Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein of Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Lethbridge. […] Read more
Reinvestment needed for growth
BANFF, Alta. — Canadian agricultural industries that want to increase exports had better make sure they can move it once they’ve produced it, says a North American logistics expert. If they don’t, rosy growth projections will fade. “I’m worried as hell,” said Stephen Blank, director of Portal for North America, a transportation integration network. “I […] Read more
There might be money to be made in manure, but it will cost you to transport it
It doesn’t pay to haul manure far, says an expert. Research conducted at the University of Saskatchewan shows that the break-even point for transporting nature’s fertilizer is less than 10 kilometres. The findings were based on three years of field trials with liquid swine and solid cattle manure applied to fields near Humboldt, Sask. “Our […] Read more
New fertilizer restrictions in Netherlands strain shippers
Can Canadian livestock producers learn any lessons from their European cousins when it comes to transporting waste?
Half the phosphorus pentoxide generated by livestock manure in the Netherlands must be exported out of the country beginning in January. The country’s small, low-lying land base cannot accept more phosphorus pentoxide-laden manure. The Netherlands has more than 500 specialty manure transport semi-trucks that are designed to move raw and processed manure. They serve a […] Read more
Grain shipments flowing again
Record shipments to West Coast | Deliveries hustle through system after months of delay
The stubborn clog that was plugging Western Canada’s grain export pipeline last winter has finally been flushed through the system. Millions of tonnes of western Canadian grain that were stuck on prairie farms for most of the winter are now flowing steadily through export terminals at Thunder Bay, Vancouver and Prince Rupert. On the West […] Read moreRailways exceed car requirements
Canadian National Railway has surpassed Ottawa’s expectations and is now aiming to move close to 6,000 hopper cars of western Canadian grain per week, according to the company’s president and chief executive officer. Claude Mongeau said CN hopper car deliveries to western Canadian grain elevators during the month of May averaged 5,500 cars per week […] Read more
Backlog in grain, backlog in democracy
Believe it or not, there is a relationship between the backlog in prairie grain and the Fair Elections Act. Here’s how. As prairie farmers wait anxiously for the backlog in grain transportation to be resolved and for prices that at least cover the cost of production, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and friends continue to meet […] Read more
Would cap removal help farmers?
Be careful what you wish for | Critics say cap removal won’t boost efficiency, just rail profits
Grain groups should reconsider their calls for an end to the railway revenue cap, says a grain transportation expert. “I would urge caution on the part of anybody who is looking to take away the revenue cap,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., the government appointed monitor of Canada’s prairie grain handling and transportation […] Read more
Rail service gets Ottawa’s ear
Parliament to hear complaints | Car shortages, unsatisfactory service cause food supply issues
As Parliament opens a new session next week, the government can expect political pressure over inadequate rail service that has left many prairie farmers unable to deliver their crop. Grain Growers of Canada wrote a letter to the minister last week urging the Conservative government to “seriously assess the evolving rail capacity issues for Canadian […] Read more
