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(Dave Bedard photo)
Markets

Loblaw beats profit estimates as online sales surge

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Reuters — Loblaw beat quarterly revenue and profit estimates on Thursday, driven by a near-fourfold jump in online sales, as stay-at-home Canadians used the retailer’s pickup and delivery services to stock up on bread, milk and eggs. With consumers still limiting their trips outdoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said it would invest […] Read more
(BriggsandStratton.com)
Machinery

Briggs + Stratton filing for reorganization, courting buyers

Stalking-horse deal in place with private equity firm

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U.S. outdoor power equipment maker Briggs + Stratton has locked in a stalking-horse buyer for its assets as it seeks a court-supervised reorganization. The Milwaukee-based company announced Monday it has a stock and asset purchase agreement in place with New York private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, best known as an investor in manufacturing companies. […] Read more
(TopconPositioning.com)
Crops, Machinery

Brandt closes GeoShack deal, locks up Topcon sales in Canada

Tractor company revives Ontario deal

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A deal to make Brandt Tractor the exclusive dealer for Topcon geopositioning equipment clear across Canada has been resuscitated. Regina-based Brandt announced Tuesday it has closed its previously-announced deal to buy the assets of GeoShack Canada — two weeks after Dallas-based GeoShack declared that “a mutually beneficial deal… has not been attained.” GeoShack has been […] Read more
(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Crops

Ontario to insure for crop loss due to lack of labour

AgriInsurance offering hailed as a first in Canada

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Ontario’s federal/provincial AgriInsurance program has been temporarily expanded to include coronavirus-related labour shortages as a covered cause for crop loss. Producers already enrolled in an eligible production insurance plan and hit by crop losses due to labour disruptions during the 2020 growing season will be able to get further insurance coverage, the Ontario and federal […] Read more
(File photo by Greg Berg)
Crops

Newfoundland farmers may shoot problem moose at night

Province to provide permits to qualified farmers

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Moose causing crop damage on farms in Newfoundland and Labrador may now be shot by farmers at night under a new special permit system. Farmers dealing with “problem moose” can now apply for permits for night shooting, via provincial agriculture development officers in their areas, the provincial fisheries and land resources department said Thursday. The […] Read more
A washout near Forrest in western Manitoba on June 29, 2020. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Alexis Stockford)

Prairie summer weather patterns to hold for now

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MarketsFarm — No major changes in the current weather patterns on the Prairies are expected at this time, according to a pair of weather experts. So far this summer, the region’s weather has been highlighted by warmer and generally drier conditions in the eastern Prairies, while the western portion has been cooler with a great […] Read more
(OntLA.on.ca)
Crops

Ontario investigating 17 temp agencies after virus outbreaks on farms

"We stand firm against exploitation in our province"

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Toronto/Winnipeg | Reuters — Ontario is investigating 17 temporary recruitment agencies, the province’s labour ministry said, after health officials warned that agencies that move workers from farm to farm could be contributing to COVID-19 outbreaks. Canadian farms rely on some 60,000 people who come to Canada on temporary work permits every year, typically living and […] Read more
Corn seedlings.
Crops

Looking for carbon sequestration answers

U.S. farmers could soon be paid for sequestering carbon, which could put Canadian farmers at another subsidy disadvantage

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Canadian farmers are worried their American neighbours are on the cusp of getting yet another competitive advantage, this time over carbon management. Farmers in this country are not only paying carbon taxes on many of their farm inputs, they are not receiving any credits for the carbon sequestered in their soils. Meanwhile, American legislators are […] Read more
Canada/U.S. border signage in downtown Detroit. (RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images)
Machinery, Markets

CUSMA pact takes effect under cloud of disputes, COVID-19

Deal appears to assure continuity of trade for agriculture

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Washington/Mexico City/Ottawa | Reuters — A modernized U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact took effect on Wednesday, ensuring continuity for manufacturers and agriculture, but the threat of disputes is exposing cracks in what was meant to be a stronger North American fortress of competitiveness. As the deal kicks in, the Trump administration is threatening Canada with new aluminum […] Read more
Analysts see COVID-19 as unlikely to impact farmland values
Markets/Business

Analysts see COVID-19 as unlikely to impact farmland values

Number of transactions could slow as prices continue increasing

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As the global economic roller coaster trip continues, will the pandemic radically change Ontario’s farmland values? Probably not, say analysts, though fewer transactions are likely. Why it matters: COVID-19 will likely impact the number of people selling farmland, but not the overall value, according to analysts. In the extreme corner of southwestern Ontario, a virtual […] Read more

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