Viterra has announced plans to purchase ILTA Grain Inc.’s processing facility at Belle Plaine, Sask., by the end of August. Belle Plaine is one of six locations ILTA Grain has in Saskatchewan. The company recently announced it had entered creditor protection. “We are pleased to be working towards integrating this high quality facility into our… Read More
Agriculture in Alberta is getting faster, smarter and more efficient. From fully automated milking machines to GPS navigation on 60-foot combines, we’ve come a long way. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the impact energy prices have on your bottom line. Your equipment may be more efficient, but a lot of your operating costs… Read More
Despite growing concerns for the B.C. economy and rising global trade tensions, the Port of Vancouver has shipped an increased amount of commodities in the first half of 2019. This news is in addition to strong agricultural commodity shipments reported by both CN Rail and CP Rail last week. Pulse crop exports were up significantly… Read More
In an effort to ensure livestock are being cared for during transport, Ontario-based Transport Genie has partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC) to research best practises on a national scale. Over two years CAHC will test Transport Genie’s innovative smart-sensor technology in real-world conditions, with help from researchers at the University of Guelph,… Read More
Eastern Ontario’s Port of Johnstown will see a $10.4 million infrastructure renewal and expansion to capitalize on growing and emerging markets for Canadian soybean, wheat and corn, and relieve inefficiencies and bottlenecks currently experienced at the port. The federal government will foot $4.8 million of the bill through the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to… Read More
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Canadian National Railway (CN) are reporting record breaking years for grain and grain product movement. CP moves 26.8MMT For the crop year ending July 31, 2019, Canadian Pacific (CP) moved a record 26.8 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain product. It’s a number that surpasses the company’s… Read More
With consolidation, mergers, and change at the agri-business level comes adaptation and change at the grower level, too. For BASF, a company that has taken on major brands, such as Invigor and Liberty, stemming from the Bayer/Monsanto deal, sorting out the logistics of getting an expanded product portfolio to growers has been a significant undertaking…. Read More
After ice blocked many ships from reaching ports in April, the latest numbers show that cargo shipments via the St. Lawrence Seaway rebounded in May. According to The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, shipments from March 22 to May 31 totalled 8.3 million metric tons, equaling last year’s performance. Tim Heney, CEO of Thunder Bay… Read More
As of the end of May, Canadian Pacific (CP) moved 22.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products since the start of the 2018-2019 crop year, according to a news release. “Since August of last year, we have moved approximately 500,000 metric tonnes more grain than ever before, bettering our record at… Read More
After months of consultation, the Saskatchewan government introduced new training requirements for driving a semi for a farm or ranch operation. The changes follow the implementation of 121.5 mandatory training hours for Class 1 commercial semi drivers that came into effect March 15, 2019. Currently those that drive truck have to obtain an ‘F’ endorsement… Read More
The executive director at Soy Canada says exporters are reporting that China is holding shipments of soybeans on arrival while the country conducts tests for “some normal plant pathogens.” “We haven’t heard of this happening before, so it seems to be new,” Ron Davidson says. The delay has not yet been confirmed to RealAgriculture by… Read More
Early in 2019, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) started an investigation around freight rail service levels in the Vancouver area. At the time, there was speculation as to which industry or industries had made the level of service complaint, and what commodities were all involved. The service complaint is the first test of new transportation… Read More
The agri-business division of La Coop fédérée, recently rebranded as Sollio Agriculture, and QSL, a terminal operator, have announced they will partner on a new grain terminal at the Port of Oshawa, Ontario. QSL operates a network of more than 30 terminals along the St. Lawrence–Great Lake corridor through its subsidiaries in Chicago and Ogdensburg,… Read More
In an outreach effort to connect with the agriculture sector, last week CN Railway took members of the agriculture industry aboard their executive train for a chance to have an open dialogue about how the two industries interact with each other. CN’s executive vice-president corporate services and chief legal officer, Sean Finn was along for… Read More
What’s said in the dome car, stays in the dome car. Alright, that might be an inside joke, but in all honesty the dome car (see photo below) was a very different atmosphere to discuss agriculture. On Tuesday, I had the chance to be part of a small group of agriculture influencers and industry stakeholders… Read More