(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax industry fighting to regain lost acres

CNS Canada — After losing ground to pulses this year, a flax industry group is working on ways to be competitive going forward. “It’s the year of the pulses, and certainly growers are taking advantage of good prices for pulses,” said Don Kerr, president at the Flax Council of Canada, referring to the United Nations […] Read more

Alberta’s provincial grasshopper forecast map for 2016. Maximum risk ratings for June-July range from “very light” (green) to “severe” (red). (Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

‘Severe’ grasshopper numbers loom over northern Alberta

CNS Canada –– A mild winter and a warm, dry spring have created some favourable hatching conditions for grasshoppers in Alberta, with the possibility of a severe outbreak in some areas. According to Mark Cutts, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture in Stettler, higher numbers of grasshoppers lie in a region northwest of Edmonton. Beyond […] Read more

(Richardson.ca)

Richardson books record port handle during expansion

Prairie grain firm Richardson International has wrapped up construction of a major new expansion at its Port Metro Vancouver export terminal and reported a record grain handle for the year while doing so. The Winnipeg company on Tuesday reported its North Vancouver terminal shipped 5.2 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds in 2015, which it […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Ottawa seeks feedback ahead of Growing Forward sequel

The federal government has set up a new web-based questionnaire to gather farmer and industry feedback on the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) ag policy funding framework as it develops the next framework. The next agricultural policy funding framework is due to launch April 1, 2018, the government said in a release Monday. The first phase […] Read more

(Todd Rosenberg photo via KraftFoodsGroup.com)

Canada, U.S. to collaborate on food safety controls

Food safety officials in Canada and the U.S. have formally recognized each other’s respective food safety controls under a cross-border co-operation pact. The two countries last week announced their new food safety systems recognition arrangement, reached during meetings of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council (RCC) held Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, D.C. The two countries […] Read more






(Photo courtesy CN)

CN books lower first-quarter grain handle

Higher revenue per carload offset reduced grain and fertilizer traffic for Canadian National Railway (CN) in its first fiscal quarter. Montreal-based CN on Monday reported overall net income of $792 million on total revenues of $2.964 billion for the quarter ending March 31, up from $704 million on $3.098 billion in the year-earlier Q1. The […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Ottawa moves to extend expanded rail interswitching

Prairie crop growers hoping that changes in federal rail freight rules will continue past their expiration date are about to get their wish. Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Friday announced they would bring forward a resolution in Parliament to extend provisions of the previous government’s Bill C-30, the Fair Rail […] Read more