The federal and Nova Scotia governments have promised support for Cape Breton farmers struggling with recent “overwhelming” rains. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his provincial counterpart, Brooke Taylor, said Monday that they are “committed” to “find ways to help producers in Cape Breton.” Ritz said he would “immediately” send senior officials from Agriculture and […] Read more
Aid pledged for rained-out Cape Breton farms
“Integrity” sought for FCC loans: report
Reports of a loan from Farm Credit Canada for a disgraced former Liberal cabinet minister to buy a Quebec vineyard have the Conservative government calling for “personal integrity” as a consideration when Crown agencies review loan applications. Montreal newspaper La Presse reported on Saturday that Alfonso Gagliano, Jean Chretien’s former minister of public works and […] Read more
Quorum’s sister firm hired for rail review
Edmonton consulting company QGI has been picked to handle two major projects as part of the federal government’s rail freight service review. QGI is a sister company of Quorum Corp., the contractor that produces the quarterly Grain Monitor report for the federal government. “QGI’s understanding of the government’s requirements for the project, their approach and […] Read more
Ont. grain to feed whisky plant expansion
Scottish liquor company William Grant and Sons is planning to add equipment and boost production at its Hiram Walker plant in Windsor, Ont. to handle and bottle the Gibson’s Whisky product lines. Installation of the new equipment will be funded by an $850,000 investment from the Ontario government, the province announced Friday. “This new production […] Read more
Feds fund oilseed research network
Exchanges of information and expertise on oilseed biology, with an eye toward new petroleum substitutes, will get a $3 million boost from Ottawa, the federal government announced Friday. Christian Paradis, the federal secretary of state for agriculture, announced the funding for the Industrial Oil Seed Network (IOSN) Friday in Thetford Mines, Que. Of the $3 […] Read more
Lower loonie supports wheat in PROs
The Canadian dollar’s recent weakening has improved the prospects for Prairie wheat growers in the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) latest pool return outlook (PRO). Current concerns over the quality of the wheat crop in Europe and the Black Sea region offer support against the pressure of continued expectations for record world wheat production, and lend […] Read more
Que. maple development work funded
Maple syrup producers in Quebec will be able to tap into two federal funds to back market and product development work. The Federation des producteurs acericoles du Quebec (FPAQ) will receive up to $651,513, Christian Paradis, the federal secretary of state for agriculture, announced Thursday at Plessisville, about 80 km southeast of Trois-Rivieres. Up to […] Read more
S. Okanagan orchards face major losses: CBC
Fruit growers in the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia are expecting over $5 million in insurance payouts after “significant” losses to a harsh growing season, CBC reported Thursday. Officials with the province told CBC that about 100 growers in the Osoyoos area were hit with heavy frost in April, then with hail and storms […] Read more
Payouts per hail claim beat Sask. average
Hail insurers in Saskatchewan report a far higher average payout per claim this year, with six-figure claim payouts “not unusual,” an insurers’ group reports. In its latest Prairie hail report, the Canadian Crop Hail Association reported over 2,000 new hail claims filed in Saskatchewan in the past two weeks, bringing total claims for this crop […] Read more
Project to hunt for more benefits from canola
“Lesser known” benefits of canola oil are the target of a new research project that will extract antioxidants from canola for use in functional foods. The project at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg will be funded by a Collaborative Research and Development grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), […] Read more
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