There has yet to be a successful bid for Merit Functional Foods nine months after the plant protein company, with its processing plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba, entered receivership. Merit’s receiver — PwC — filed a court update on Nov. 14 acknowledging the sales process launched in March had not resulted in any purchase agreement. The… Read More
Author: Kelvin Heppner
Kelvin Heppner, field editor for RealAgriculture, has been reporting on Canadian agriculture since 2008(ish). When he's not working on a story, he's usually in a chicken barn or a field, as he also farms with his family near Altona, Manitoba.
104 years after the first airplane flew across the Atlantic Ocean, Virgin Atlantic marked another transatlantic milestone this week: the first commercial and widebody aircraft flight crossing the ocean on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (or SAF.) A Boeing 787, powered by Rolls-Royce engines, flew from London Heathrow to New York JFK on Tuesday,… Read More
The private member’s bill that aims to reduce the risk of biosecurity breaches from trespassers on farms has received final approval in the House of Commons. Bill C-275, brought forward by Conservative shadow minister for agriculture John Barlow, would update the Health of Animals Act to make it an offence to enter a place where… Read More
Senators intent on blocking Bill C-234 re-introduced an already-defeated amendment hours after a separate amendment was voted down on Tuesday. It’s the latest move by senators aligned with the Liberal government to obstruct the private member’s bill that would remove the federal carbon levy from natural gas and propane used on farms. First, Senator Lucie… Read More
Editor’s note: This story was updated Nov. 28 after confirmation from the Canada Revenue Agency that the proposed changes to the underused housing tax will only take effect after legislation that has yet-to-be introduced has been approved by Parliament. The federal government has proposed several changes to its underused housing tax (UHT) that are expected… Read More
The federal government plans to move ahead with changes to the Competition Act to support Canadians’ right-to-repair. This was one of many commitments made in the fall economic statement tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday afternoon. The government says it will amend the act “in order to prevent manufacturers from refusing to provide… Read More
Update, Nov. 20: A delegation of leaders from Ontario farm organizations say they are heading to Ottawa to show support for the passage of C-234. The group includes representatives from Beef Farmers of Ontario, Mushrooms Canada, Ontario Broiler Chicken Hatching Egg Producers Association, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Ontario Pork,… Read More
Winnipeg, Manitoba-based farm equipment manufacturer Buhler Industries is reporting progress on finding a new long-term investor. The company that employs around 800 people building Versatile tractors and Farm King equipment announced in July that it had hired Toronto-based Origin Merchant Partners to find an investor who is committed to “preserving the legacy of the iconic… Read More
Bayer’s new CEO says the company’s management is evaluating whether to spin off its crop science division as part of a company-wide restructuring process. A German news outlet reported in July that Bill Anderson was considering divesting the company’s agriculture business — one of Bayer’s three divisions, along with Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Consumer Health… Read More
Shenanigans in the Senate on Thursday have created a new cloud of uncertainty surrounding Bill C-234, the embattled private member’s bill that would remove the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on farms for an eight-year period. Farm groups and farmers celebrated the Senate’s rejection of an amended version of the bill… Read More
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his staff are looking for ways to reduce the federal agriculture budget by three per cent, in line with what’s been asked of other federal departments. That’s one of the pieces of information gleaned from a one-on-one interview with Minister MacAulay, recorded Thursday, Nov. 9. MacAulay says he never dreamed… Read More
RCMP in western Manitoba are investigating a fatal combine rollover. Police say they received a report of a combine harvester having rolled over into a slough located off of Provincial Road 592 in the RM of Riding Mountain West in the late afternoon on November 3rd. Investigators say a 55-year-old male, from Roblin, Man., was… Read More
The majority of senators rejected an amended version of Bill C-234 in a pivotal vote on Tuesday, clearing the path for the proposed on-farm carbon tax exemption to move ahead for third reading and one step closer to Royal Assent. The private member’s bill, which was introduced by Ontario MP Ben Lobb in February 2022… Read More
Bill C-234 will face a pivotal vote in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon. The bill, designed to remove the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on farms, received final approval from MPs in the House of Commons in March. However, it was amended by the Senate’s agriculture committee last month, as senators… Read More
Transport Canada has launched public consultations on Bunge’s proposed US$8.1 billion acquisition of Viterra. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez decided in September that the combination of the two grain companies warranted a review under the Canada Transportation Act regarding the impact it could have on Canada’s transportation system. Both Viterra and Bunge hold ownership interest in… Read More