Two years after the closure of its Medicine Hat distribution facility, PepsiCo has announced it will close the Spitz International Inc facility at Bow Island. PepsiCo first acquired the Alberta-based company ten years ago. The food and beverage giant sent this statement to RealAgriculture, February 16: "Yesterday we announced our difficult decision to close our... Read More
Category: Western Canada
As if NAFTA negotiations weren't complicated enough with trying to figure out what the U.S. administration wants, Mexico's looming election is adding another layer of political uncertainty. The political threat to a successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is particularly concerning for trade-dependent industries like agriculture, as highlighted by two of the... Read More
Protein Industries Canada was named today as one of the winning proponents under the federal Innovation Superclusters Program. The funding model is part of the federal government's Innovation and Skills Plan "to spark growth and help Canada realize its potential as a global leader in innovation" though creating large-scale industry partnerships. Protein Industries Canada, based... Read More
One of North America’s largest advantages has been the infrastructure in place to move agricultural commodities from inland to the coast for export. Farmers and ranchers complain about some of the bottlenecks and issues, but, comparatively speaking to Russia and Brazil, North American highways and byways have historically been in much better shape. That might... Read More
Ontario's soils are losing organic matter. What builds organic matter? Perennial and forage species! But if you're going to plant perennial hay or pasture, you have to have something to feed it to or you won't be farming long enough to see the value of the added organic matter. And that's a slight problem, as... Read More
Farmers and ranchers across Canada and the United States identify with a hard day's work, family, and a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You would have to drive many dirt roads before you found a farmer in either country identifying with "the elites." In the Right Honourable Stephen Harper's recent... Read More
Even with a fresh blanket of snow in some regions, farmers are eager to start planning for the spring season. From early seeding in Saskatchewan, to managing cover crops and bio strip-till, to building magnesium, resident agronomist Peter Johnson covers it all in this episode of the show. Have a question you’d like Johnson to... Read More
Simplot announced a $460 million expansion of its potato processing facility at Portage la Prairie, Man. on Wednesday. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler were on hand with J.R. Simplot CEO Bill Whitacre to announce the investment, an expansion that will add nearly 100 jobs to the facility. “Manitoba delivers in so... Read More
The Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission has hired its own agronomist to support flax growers in the province. Michelle Beaith joined SaskFlax as of Monday. “Having a flax agronomist will be hugely beneficial to our organization and to flax producers,” says Wayne Thompson, executive director for SaskFlax, in a statement. “Michelle will be able to help... Read More
While much of the focus over the past several months has been on the pulse industry, with India's tariffs on pulse crops, Canada's cereal crop value chain has also had its hands full working on market access challenges. Italy, with its new country-of-origin labeling legislation and campaigns spreading doubt about the quality and safety of... Read More