Crop protection companies selling glyphosate have two years to make minor changes to parts of their product labels, as the 43-year-old herbicide formally clears Health Canada’s re-evaluation process. The re-evaluation, launched in late 2009 in a standard federal practice for registered pesticides in Canada, has ruled that products containing glyphosate — when used following the […] Read more
Glyphosate clears Health Canada re-evaluation
PotashCorp notches higher profit as sales climb
Reuters — Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp reported a bigger-than-expected rise in quarterly profit on Thursday and raised its full-year outlook, citing lower costs and increased sales volumes. Shares of the Saskatoon-based fertilizer producer rose 1.6 per cent in early New York trading, touching a three-week high. Revenue was lower in the first quarter due to weaker prices […] Read more
BASF still out for ag chem deals
Frankfurt | Reuters –– German chemicals giant BASF said it would continue to push for acquisitions to shore up its crop protection business, after the antitrust-related sale of assets from the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont left it empty-handed. “We are generally interested in strengthening our business further, acquisitions are part of that, that […] Read more
DuPont profit beats on strong seed demand
Reuters – Chemicals and seeds producer DuPont , which is merging with Dow Chemical Co, reported a better-than-expected profit for the seventh straight quarter, helped by a rise in seed sales, sending its share up 3.5 percent. DuPont, which is merging with Dow Chemical Co, continues to expect to close its merger in August, Chief […] Read more
OPR threatened, organic industry officials say
The organic industry is mounting a protest against pending changes for its Organic Products Regulation (OPR) that it says has potential to “undo the entire Canadian organic supply chain.” In 2012, the passage of the Safe Foods for Canadians Act resulted in a number of regulations, including the OPR, being combined into a single document […] Read more
Morris Industries gets $3.4 million for manufacturing, innovation
Morris Industries in Morris, Man. is receiving more than $3.4 million from the Western Economic Diversification Canada’s (WD) Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative, to commercialize an advanced manufacturing process and create new farm equipment products. The funding support will be a co-investment with Morris to accelerate implementation of new manufacturing technology that will incorporate advanced features […] Read more
Feds introduce cannabis legalization bill
The federal government is set to decriminalize cannabis possession and use and to allow limited home-grown pot plants starting in mid-2018, while sticking close to the existing licensing system for wholesale-level production. The government on Thursday introduced the Cannabis Act, which will allow adults — that is, ages 18 and up — to legally possess […] Read more
New study on glyphosate to feed into crucial EU vote
London | Reuters — Results of a new animal study into possible health risks of glyphosate will be published in time to inform a key EU re-licensing vote due by the end of 2017, according to the researcher leading the trial. A row over possible effects of glyphosate — an ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup […] Read more
China clears ChemChina’s Syngenta deal
Zurich | Reuters — ChemChina’s US$43 billion planned takeover of Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta has received approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the two companies said Wednesday. “This represents a further step towards the closing of the transaction, which is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2017,” they said […] Read more
Alberta to restore non-refundable checkoff option
Alberta’s farmed-commodity commissions may soon be able to make their checkoffs non-refundable again if their producer members are willing. The provincial government on Tuesday tabled amendments to the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAPA) which would grant each of the province’s 13 agricultural commissions the ability to determine whether their checkoffs should be refundable or […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
