In Canada, we’re pretty good at identifying opportunities for the agriculture sector. As an industry, we are told that what Canada has, the world needs, and that agriculture is an industry with huge earning potential. What we are less good at is taking a shot at those opportunities and turning potential into momentum. How do… Read More
Category: CEO interviews
Canada has what the world needs: abundant food and food ingredients. More importantly, Canada has what much of the world lacks — good arable land, clean water, and stability. Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Food and Ingredients, based at Regina, is well versed in moving commodities and food products around the world. In… Read More
Surrounding yourself with exceptional people and building a winning team. It’s a recipe for success that Saskatchewan-born Lorne Hepworth has followed through three successful careers and now an appointment as Member of the Order of Canada. This week, RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney sat down with Hepworth to discuss his journey, which includes a career arc with… Read More
Brent Derkatch has been named as the new president and CEO of CANTERRA SEEDS. Derkatch steps into the role as long-time CEO David Hansen announced his retirement earlier this year. Derkatch has been with CANTERRA SEEDS since 2001, and has served as the director, Pedigreed Seed Business Unit for the past five years. Derkatch will… Read More
How farmers grow crops and manage livestock is forever changing. That evolution of agriculture is also reshaping how agribusinesses operate, as companies compete for talent and aim to create a workplace to best support their business, products, and farmer customers. Last week, Syngenta Canada opened the doors to its newly-renovated office at Guelph, Ont., to… Read More
While she’s new to the role of president, Erin Gowriluk is already quite familiar with the organization she’s leading, as she’s spent the past decade working for organizations that are members of the Canada Grains Council. “I’m new to this role, but not new to the Council,” she explains, discussing her new gig with RealAgriculture’s… Read More
Justine Hendricks is less than a month in to her role as president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada (FCC), but she says she’s already shook about 800 hands. Hendricks, speaking from FCC’s Kanata, Ont., office, says starting in prime farm conference season has been an excellent way to meet so many faces in the… Read More
A new report commissioned by Fertilizer Canada and the Canola Council of Canada shows increased adoption of 4R stewardship practices could result in a 14 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizer — approximately halfway to the Canadian government’s 30 per cent reduction target for 2030. The study, released September 6, compares… Read More
In June of this year, Michael Hoffort will end his 34-year career with Farm Credit Canada (FCC), having spent the last eight years as president and chief executive officer. Hoffort joined FCC in the late ’80s, a decade that was known to be particularly difficult for the farming sector, marked by sky-high interest rates, poor… Read More
The ongoing global shortage of semiconductor chips has created difficult times for farm machinery makers, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel. CNH Industrial CEO Scott Wine says equipment makers, such as the company’s Case IH and New Holland brands, still have some tough months ahead and are “probably nine months… Read More
Within the last month, three grain companies have announced plans to add nearly five million tonnes of canola crush capacity in Western Canada. Richardson first announced a doubling of production to 2.2 million tonnes per year at its Yorkton, Sask. site, then Cargill announced plans to build a new 1 million tonne plant at Regina,… Read More
It took some effort, but Rocky Mountain Equipment (RME) announced recently that the company would be going private, thirteen years after going public. In a nutshell, the move means the company is able to focus on customer’s needs, and will be able to plan longer-term, according to Garrett Ganden, chief executive officer of RME. When… Read More
The amalgamation of Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) and Cereals Canada meant finding a new chief executive officer. That role is now filled by Dean Dias, who comes from the Cigi side and brings years of experience in a variety of roles. “When I first moved to Canada in 2006, from Mumbai, India, I never… Read More
As the saying goes, if Henry Ford had listened to what his customers wanted, they would have said, “Faster horses.” For Nicole Zeni, that innovation philosophy means that while you do need to listen to your customers, you must be open to change, and challenged to thinking broadly and for the long term. Zeni manages… Read More
When the corn, soybean, and wheat growers of Ontario chose to join forces over a decade ago, they named a Westerner, Barry Senft, as their CEO. Since then, Senft has led the newly-formed Grain Farmers of Ontario through collaboration, the addition of two other commodity groups, restrictive regulations, and a big push for public outreach…. Read More