As U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration day approaches, the business world is pondering how the new administration might affect the world economy. Trump’s pride in his unpredictability is troubling, given he’s the president-elect, said David Frum, political commentator, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and a senior editor for Washington-based magazine The Atlantic. However, […] Read more
Potatoes
Protectionism game comes with raised economic stakes: Frum
Trudeau to shuffle Dion out of foreign affairs
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his cabinet this week and is set to move Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, who ran into political trouble last year, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Monday. “Dion is out,” said the person, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of […] Read more
Fungicide cleared to curb verticillium wilt in potatoes
A label expansion for Syngenta’s Aprovia fungicide, to cover additional soil-borne potato diseases, makes it the first fungicide in Canada approved to suppress verticillium wilt in potatoes. Fumigants have been potato growers’ only option against the crop disease until now, Eric Phillips, Syngenta Canada’s fungicides and insecticides product lead, said in a release Thursday. Verticillium […] Read more
Happy 2017 from Farm Business Communications
On behalf of all of us at Farm Business Communications, here in Winnipeg and across Canada, we’d like to wish you the happiest of new years and, once again, our thanks for your readership in 2016. Our office in Winnipeg closes today at noon and will reopen for regular business on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. […] Read more
Syngenta, DuPont patent new herbicide chemistry class
The crop chemical arms of DuPont and Syngenta are working together on a new class of herbicide chemistry they’ve jointly patented and taken to the “pre-development” stage. DuPont Crop Protection and Syngenta announced Monday they’ve published a joint patent, titled “Substituted cyclic amides and their use as herbicides,” and expect to launch herbicides based on […] Read more
Irving’s potato arm plans new plant for Lethbridge
Cavendish Farms, the potato arm of J.D. Irving Ltd., is set to build a $350 million frozen potato processing plant at Lethbridge to double its local capacity and replace the old York Farms plant it owns there. Moncton-based Cavendish announced Monday it has picked up Lethbridge city hall’s approval to buy a new plant site […] Read more
PMRA seeks phase-out for neonic pesticide imidacloprid
Canadian farm use of the pesticide imidacloprid, from the controversial neonicotinoid family, is facing a three- to five-year phase-out from approval over its potential risks to aquatic insects. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) on Wednesday announced it had completed a re-evaluation of the pesticide and has kicked off a 90-day public consultation period, […] Read more
Canada expects Britain to be part of CETA
London | Reuters –– Canada expects Britain to be part of the CETA trade deal between Canada and the European Union, and stands ready to work with Britain on how the system will function after Brexit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau told BBC radio on Wednesday. He also defended Canada’s NAFTA trade deal with the U.S. […] Read more
Thailand to accept Alberta seed potatoes
Alberta is now the third Canadian province from which seed potato growers are eligible to export to Thailand. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Monday announced a new export agreement by which Thailand will accept imports of seed potatoes produced in Alberta. “Alberta has a very innovative and progressive seed potato industry and is looking […] Read more
Canada’s Onex to buy U.S. grocery chain Save-A-Lot
Reuters — Food retailer and wholesaler Supervalu Inc. said it will sell its Save-A-Lot business to Canadian private equity firm Onex Corp. for US$1.37 billion rather than spinning off the discount grocery chain as previously planned, the companies said on Monday. Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Supervalu had been looking to separate the more profitable division, which […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
