Saskatoon will soon be host to a UK company that develops rapid bacteria detection tests using blood and milk samples. Announced today, PBD Biotech has chosen Saskatoon, SK, as the headquarters for its Canadian subsidiary. The company's Actiphage technology is a "highly sensitive and specific assay" that detects live bacteria in the blood or milk... Read More
Category: News
Ag-West Bio will receive $1.7 million per year over the next five years from the federal and provincial governments through the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Saskatchewan Ag Minister Lyle Stewart announced the funding — totalling $8.5 million — to support the development of the ag biotechnology sector in Saskatchewan... Read More
The federal and Manitoba governments announced joint funding of up to $540 million on Monday to build permanent outlets for mitigating flooding around Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Flooding caused major damage to homes, pastures, and farmland around the lakes in 2011 and 2014 after water was diverted from the Assiniboine River into Lake... Read More
Each June, SaskWheat holds its semi-annual meeting at Canada's Farm Progress Show at Regina. It's a chance for the board to meet with the farmers they represent and for all attendees to hear from interesting speakers on timely topics. Dallas Carpenter, communications manager for SaskWheat, says they had an interesting and informative meeting planned for... Read More
New farm equipment sales in U.S. are higher than in 2017, while Canadian agricultural machinery sales are mixed relative to last year, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' latest data. The Canadian numbers for May show slight year-to-date increases over 2017 for tractors. The below table shows total 2WD tractors are up 3.2% year-to-date... Read More
Quebec-based dairy processor Saputo has quietly announced a plan to build a $240 million dairy processing facility in Port-Coquitlam, British Columbia. Construction of the "state-of-the-art facility to be commissioned in fiscal 2021" was mentioned in the company's fiscal 2018 annual report published last week. (Saputo's 2018 fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.) The company says... Read More
Errin Willenborg, research manager with SaskCanola recently took home some hardware from the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists (SIA). Willenborg manages $3 million in investments per year on behalf of Saskatchewan canola growers. "We're invested in a lot of research in agronomy, and looking at some of the genetics behind diseases in the province. We have... Read More
Update, June 18: South Korea's government has also suspended the sale of wheat and flour from Canada. Japan's agriculture ministry has suspended shipments of Canadian wheat after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed on Thursday that genetically modified wheat plants were found growing in southern Alberta last summer. The CFIA says none of the wheat... Read More
Quebec-based pork and poultry processor Olymel has announced a deal to acquire all the shares in Pinty's Delicious Foods, a poultry processing company in Ontario that specializes in chicken wings, boneless wings, fillets and fully cooked food products. Pinty's operates three processing facilities, in Port Colborne, Paris, and Oakville, with headquarters in Burlington. The company... Read More
What's new The Safe Food for Canadians Act was drafted in 2012 and on Wednesday, after years of industry consultation and review, the regulations were finalized. The federal government has consolidated 14 different food regulations into one under published earlier this week in Canada Gazette, Part II. The new rules include licensing and traceability requirements... Read More