ILTA Grain opened its processing plant at Belle Plaine, east of Moose Jaw, in 2017. (ILTAGrain.com)

Viterra to buy ILTA Grain pulse processing plant

Creditor-protected Prairie pulse processor and exporter ILTA Grain is set to sell a next-to-new southern Saskatchewan facility to one of Canada’s biggest grain firms. Glencore Agriculture’s Viterra arm said Tuesday it has signed a purchase deal for the assets of ILTA’s processing facility at Belle Plaine, Sask., about 25 km east of Moose Jaw. Financial […] Read more

Delmar Commodities’ Jordan Mills soybean crush plant at Roland, Man., about 25 km north of Winkler. (DelmarCommodities.com)

Ceres closes on option to buy Delmar Commodities

U.S. commodities firm Ceres Global Ag Corp. has exercised its option and closed its deal to buy Manitoba grain merchandising firm Delmar Commodities. Ceres announced Friday it has completed the deal to buy all of Delmar’s shares for about $15.25 million in cash and assume about $7.6 million in existing term debt. The Minneapolis firm […] Read more


Screengrab from a Farm At Hand promotional video via Vimeo.

Telus buys Farm At Hand

Vancouver farm management software development firm Farm At Hand has become an arm of one of the Big Five in Canada’s communication services sector. Farm At Hand, which makes the cloud-based Crop Planner software suite for farmers and the Farm At Hand Agronomy suite for agronomists, announced Tuesday it has been wholly acquired by Telus […] Read more

Creating a unified organization with a national mandate could eliminate duplication, streamline operations, and set the Canadian seed sector on a new path.

Amalgamations still possible for national seed groups

The organizations have been working on the potential merger for four years

Canada’s largest seed industry organizations continue to explore amalgamations. Officials from the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) have contemplated a merger for some time. The proposed amalgamation, a key element of a larger initiative known as Seed Synergy, would also include the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Grain growers get extension on 2018 APP repayment

Grain, oilseed and pulse crop growers who took out cash advances from the Advance Payments Program for the 2018-19 crop year will get an extra six months to repay, effective Friday. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced a six-month stay of default for APP advances on grains, oilseeds and pulses, to March 31, […] Read more


(File photo by Greg Berg)

Input Capital cuts costs as delayed sales lift Q3 profit

A hostile canola export market has left “commodity streaming” firm Input Capital paring back its staff count and halting its sales and marketing efforts. The publicly traded Regina company on Tuesday booked adjusted net income of $1.06 million on $4.95 million in adjusted total revenue for the quarter ending June 30, up from about $249,000 […] Read more

U.S. meat substitute processor Beyond Meat is testing its products in meatball style in Subway’s Beyond Meatball sub. (CNW Group/Subway Restaurants)

Subway to test-market plant-based ‘meatball’ subs

The world’s biggest fast food chain by number of outlets plans to test-market plant-based meat substitute at some of its Canadian and U.S. restaurants starting next month. Subway on Wednesday announced a “culinary innovation partnership” with Los Angeles-based processor Beyond Meat, beginning with a “Beyond Meatball Marinara” submarine sandwich to be tested at 685 Canadian […] Read more

(CalgaryCoop.com)

Calgary to step out of Federated Co-op grocery system

Calgary Co-op’s grocery business plans to get all its goods from suppliers other than Federated Co-operatives (FCL) starting in April next year. Saskatoon-based FCL said Thursday it had received notice from Calgary Co-operative Association that it would “discontinue the procurement of all products for their grocery stores from FCL” at that time. The Saskatoon StarPhoenix […] Read more


(FireAndFlower.com)

Couche-Tard takes stake in cannabis retailer

One of Canada’s biggest convenience store operators is moving ahead on its stated goal of getting into the retail cannabis business. Edmonton-based cannabis retailer Fire + Flower announced Wednesday it has issued a $25.99 million debenture, convertible to a 9.9 per cent ownership stake, to Quebec’s Alimentation Couche-Tard. The Laval-based firm said its planned investment […] Read more

File photo of lentils being moved into bins in Saskatchewan. (Bobloblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Cargill not taking glufosinate-desiccated lentils

One of the world’s biggest grain companies has decided not to chance accepting Canadian lentils that were desiccated with a well known herbicide. Cargill announced Friday it will now have a “no tolerance” restriction on glufosinate ammonia in its grain delivery terms for lentils, including lentils that have had the Group 10 herbicide applied in […] Read more