(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Market shifts, weather push back Food Freedom Day

Food Freedom Day, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s bellwether of affordability for food in Canada, is a day later in 2018. The CFA on Wednesday announced that by its calculations, a Canadian household of average income has earned enough to pay an entire year’s grocery bill on Friday, Feb. 9. Canadians spent 11 per cent […] Read more

(LCBO.com)

Australia takes Canada to WTO over wine rules

Geneva | Reuters — Australia has complained at the World Trade Organization about Canada’s rules on wine sales, expanding a similar U.S. complaint against one province. In October, Washington accused British Columbia of providing an unfair advantage to local vineyards by giving their wine an exclusive retail channel in grocery store shelves and cutting out […] Read more

(ChampsMushrooms.ca)

Major B.C. mushroom grower merging into U.S. firm

One of Canada’s biggest mushroom producers is set to merge into one of the biggest North American players in the same sector. Pennsylvania-based South Mill Mushrooms, which grows for distribution across the U.S. and into Eastern Canada, announced Tuesday it will combine its operations with those of Champ’s Mushrooms, based at Aldergrove in the Vancouver […] Read more

Bestland Air’s facility near Starbuck, Man. (Photo courtesy Richardson International)

Richardson buys Winnipeg-area input retailer

An independent crop input retailer is being merged into one of its neighbours near Winnipeg as grain firm Richardson International continues on a retail expansion track. Privately-held Richardson announced Dec. 11 it has closed a deal to buy the retail assets of Bestland Air Ltd. at Starbuck, Man., about 30 km southwest of Winnipeg. Bestland […] Read more

(Richardson.ca)

CHS to shed Prairie crop input retail sites

U.S. farm co-operative CHS is stepping back from Canada’s Prairie crop input retail sector with a deal to sell its 10 retail locations to Richardson International. Winnipeg-based Richardson on Tuesday announced it would buy CHS’s Alberta retail sites at Alix, Beiseker, Bow Island, Carseland, Craddock, Lacombe, Rolling Hills, Standard and Vauxhall, and the co-op’s lone […] Read more


A Metro grocery store at the Orangeville Mall in Orangeville, Ont. (Onereit.ca)

Metro to buy Jean Coutu to stave off looming risks

Toronto | Reuters — Metro Inc., Canada’s third-biggest food retailer, on Monday agreed to buy pharmacy chain Jean Coutu Group for $4.5 billion in cash and stock, paying what analysts said was a “steep” premium to protect against risks facing the retail sector. The deal comes at time when global retail giants like Amazon.com, Wal-Mart […] Read more

(JeanCoutu.com)

Metro in ‘advanced’ talks to buy Jean Coutu chain

One of Eastern Canada’s major players in the grocery sector is in “advanced discussions” to take up one of the region’s major drugstore chains. Montreal-based Metro Inc. announced Tuesday it’s in “exclusive” talks with the Jean Coutu Group on the possibilities of a cash-and-stock takeover valued in some reports at around $4.5 billion. A non-binding […] Read more

U.S. grain handler Andersons to exit retail business

U.S. grain handler Andersons to exit retail business

Reuters — Loss-making U.S. grain handler Andersons Inc. said Sunday it plans to exit the retail business, affecting over 1,000 employees, at a time when the U.S. farm sector is facing a downturn due to a sharp decline in grain prices. The company, which buys grain, produces ethanol and leases rail cars, said it will […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Loblaw reports better-than-expected profit

Reuters — Canadian grocery and pharmacy retailer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, as expenses fell and discounting attracted more shoppers. Profit at Loblaw’s main retail unit was helped by lower selling, general and administrative costs, and an increase in same-store sales in the quarter ending Oct. 8, the company said. […] Read more

(FITTrials.com)

P+H bulking up on fertilizer in southeastern Saskatchewan

Winnipeg grain company Parrish and Heimbecker has started construction work to further boost its crop input retail profile in southeastern Saskatchewan. The company, in an online newsletter released this week, said it has fast-tracked work on a new 1,800-tonne capacity liquid fertilizer blend plant at Moosomin, Sask., to accompany a 16,000-tonne capacity dry fertilizer storage […] Read more