Farmers and fishing businesses will save a projected $50 million in taxes over the next five years thanks to another increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains exemption announced in the federal budget this week. The exemption, which helps farmers reduce their tax burden when transferring ownership of farm assets, has been raised to $1 million for next year,… Read More

Two major players in the livestock health and nutrition business could soon be on the same team, as Alltech has entered an agreement to acquire Ridley Inc. for C$521 million. “This transformative transaction that combines two industry leaders allows Alltech to deliver better performance and value to livestock and poultry producers across the globe,” said Dr…. Read More

Trimble has bought HarvestMark, a food traceability and quality inspection company. HarvestMark collects information on food movement and sales, with an eye to food safety tracking and supply chain management. The acquisition of HarvestMark “further enhances” Trimble’s position in agriculture and transportation and logistics within the food supply chain, the company says. The addition of… Read More

Ontario is creating a new Beijing-based agri-food trade advisor position with a goal of further expanding Ontario’s agri-food sector reach into the Chinese market. The new in-market trade advisor will be a seasoned food industry professional with business experience in global markets, says the Ontario government. Funding for the position is through Growing Foward 2. Currently,… Read More

The Canadian Forage & Grassland Association (CFGA) has named Cedric MacLeod, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, as the group’s executive director, effective June, 2015. “(Cedric) brings a strong background in forages, and experience working in organizations to successfully advance their goals and agendas. We look forward to his leadership as we promote the forage and grassland industry and… Read More

Ontario’s 2015 Agri-Food Trade Mission to China (happening this week) is yielding a new business agreement for one of the province’s most iconic edible exports, maple syrup and maple products, says the government of Ontario. Agriculture minister Jeff Leal and minister of international trade Michael Chan recently met with representatives from Ontario’s Futurevic Global Sourcing… Read More

The 4th annual Canadian Dairy Xpo will be held the first week of April, 2016, a departure from the early February date of the first three iterations of the Stratford, Ont., show. The Stratford Rotary Complex venue will host the Xpo Wednesday April 6th and Thursday April 7th, 2016, the show organizers say. Check out… Read More

Western Canadian farm groups are generally welcoming the increased competition that should result from turning the (incapacitated?) Canadian Wheat Board into a private grain company controlled by Bunge and a Saudi investment company, but producer groups are still seeking answers about the farmer ownership part of the deal. The agreement announced this week will see farmers owning 49.9 percent… Read More

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced the government’s commitment to “streamline and modernize” the way crop varieties are registered in Canada. These proposed changes will now enter into a consultation period ahead of the actual regulatory changes being drafted. Most major field crops grown in Canada are subject to Variety Registration, such as wheat, canola,… Read More

CN Rail on Thursday announced a multi-year program to spend around $500 million to improve its feeder rail lines in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. A news release from the company does not mention grain, but indicates the upgrades will occur on lines “handling rising volumes of industrial products, natural resources and energy-related commodities.” Approximately $100 million… Read More

 

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