Police have charged a 26-year-old for theft when they found $1,000 worth of stolen in Bradford.
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Butter thief arrested
Russia bans U.S. poultry
Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) is thinking about temporarily banning all poultry products from the United States passing through Russian territory to Kazakhstan.
According to Russian media outlet RIA Novosti, the veterinarians are concerned that poultry from the U .S. might be carrying highly pathogenic avian influenza.
They point to the current rate of avian flu outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza totaling 290 cases this year.
Imports from the U.S. through Russia to Kazakhstan decreased from 23,000 tons in 2022 to less than 15,000 tons this year.
The U.S. has had an explosion of avian flu outbreaks this month. Last week, animal health officials in California confirmed a total of more than 549,000 HPAI cases among commercial layers and WOAH non-poultry in two counties since Dec.18.
Consultant wants ok for natural medicines
Consultants at Paul Dick and Associates are lobbying to change Canadian regulations to allow the sale and use of natural medicines for animals.
”These products are often readily available to farmers in other countries that either have reduced regulatory burden or a large enough market to justify a high regulatory burden, the consultants said.
Farmers there have access to innovative products that optimize the health of animals, allowing them to better resist disease. Importantly, these products will not contribute to antimicrobial resistance which the World Health Organization says is the greatest threat to human and animal health, said Paul Dick and Associates.
“There are significant regulatory challenges for non-drug products in Canada,” sad Lauren Carde, vice president of operations and regulatory affairs for Paul Dick & Associates, a full-service consulting firm for the human and animal health industries.
“If they don’t meet all the requirements for a veterinary health product or a feed, they are pushed into the drug category, which is really problematic because these products are not drugs and the drug regulations don't make sense for non-drug products,” she said.
The regulations do not permit products lacking a long history of use, which prevents new and innovative products from pursuing registration this way, she said. New feed ingredients take up to three years to gain approval under the Animal Feed Program because of long regulatory review periods and a lack of service standards.
Canada is a small player and represents only two to three per cent of the total global animal health market.
“We have a high regulatory burden and a small market,” said Carde. “Our small market size combined with stringent regulatory requirements mean that even our homegrown companies are choosing to skip Canada and are taking their products to other countries instead.”
Several years ago the Canadian Food inspection Agency de-regulated the marketing of soil amendments and crop-promotion products, leaving farmers to judge whether they are worth the expense. Before de-regulation, marketers had to prove they work as advertised and are safe.
That Is the basic standard for animal health products.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
World Hunger increasing sgain
After years of steadily reducing the number of people who are hungry, the situation has changed and the number of people without enough nutritious food is increasing.
The World Food Programme estimates the number is more than 783 million people.
“This year’s report reveals that 58 countries will not reach low levels of hunger, let alone zero hunger by 2030, which is a sobering thought,” said Stefan Epp-Koop, senior manager of humanitarian programs at the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
“The impacts of multiple intersecting crises have stalled progress in the fight against hunger. Conflict, extreme weather, and economic challenges such as high inflation, have hit communities already vulnerable to food insecurity in a devastating way this year.”
However, the report also reveals hunger levels throughout the world are substantially lower than what they were in the early 2000’s – and that the work of organizations such as the Foodgrains Bank is making a difference.
Since it was founded by a number of Christian denominations in 1983, it has delivered more than $1 billion of aid, much of it contributed by the Canadian government which more than matches donors conributions.
According to this report, the number of countries that were considered ‘alarming’ or ‘extremely alarming’ has dropped from 38 in 2000, to just nine in 2023. With a concerted, compassionate effort by individuals, organizations and governments, that number can continue to decline significantly in 2024.
“It’s encouraging to see that almost every (of the 70 countries) our members and their partners are working in has improved during this period. There is still a long way to go to ending hunger, but knowing progress has taken place as a result of the work we’re doing motivates us to keep going,” said Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington.
“As we look ahead to what 2024 holds, we’re especially grateful for the way Canadians continue to support us in this mission.”
The member Christian denominations is the broadest in the nation.
Artificial intelligence for farming cattle
BETSY is a computer-linked nanny who keeps track of cattle, which can be especially important for detecting heat and knowing when a cow is calving.
BETSY relies on cameras and artificial intelligence that can use cow’s faces for identification. It’s better than ear tags because individuals can be idenfitied from the comfort of the home office or mobile phone.
OneCup AI is the creator of Bovine Expert Tracking and Surveillance, or BETSY. Mokah Shmigelsky, the chief executive officer, said the technology has been on the market since 2022, and there are now 140 setups across Canada.
“So far our producers have been very excited about our system, and offering consistent feedback so that we can improve their user experience,” she said.
Shmigelsky, said the idea for BETSY came about when she and her husband were sitting around a campfire at a family reunion in Saskatchewan, discussing the “pain points” in the cattle industry.
She said a cousin talked about wanting to identify cows without having to use tags and asked if it could be done using computers and cameras.
Shmigelsky’s husband, Geoff, who she said is the brains behind OneCup AI, responded that with artificial intelligence it would be no problem. That’s when they developed the system and tested it on their relatives’ cattle.
When BETSY sees an animal that’s calving, she’ll send a text message to the producer.
Ashley Perepelkin, who was a city girl when she married a grain farmer and then decided she’d like to have cattle, said a lot of what farmers and ranchers do comes down to experience and time.
“As everybody knows, time costs money, right?”
Now she relies on BETSY when it’s calving time for her 100 cows. She brings them to a pen and “at that point, (the cameras) will visually see their bedding packs, where I put straw out for the cows to sleep.”
Instead of getting up every three or four hours to check if her cows are calving, she receives text messages, and can view the cameras through her phone or computer. The cameras watch for signs such as contractions to determine if a cow is about to give birth.
Perepelkin said cows make a certain shape to their tail when they are contracting, but it’s similar to when they’re urinating or defecating.
“That has probably been the hardest jump for (OneCup AI) to get past, is to identify the difference from to the other,” she said.
In November, BETSY won OneCup AI the business of the year honour at the Animal AgTech Awards at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
Shmigelsky says dairy farmers are not only interested in calving alerts, but alerts when cows are in heat and are ready to breed.
“You want to get those animals bred in an optimal window, essentially.”
She says there should be enough camera coverage for where the animals are located, and that most places have four to six cameras depending on how many animals and pens they own.
This report is based on an article by Jamin Mike that was provided by Canadian Press.
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Poultry price-fixing costs hit $284 million
Poultry companies have paid more than $284 million so far to settle price-fixing lawsuits.
And that's only settlements with direct clients. It does not include lawsuits filed by state officials or other clients, such as retailers.
Only one company, Sanderson Farms, has fought back and won in court.
B.C. had 53 avian flu cases
British Columbia has had 53 outbreaks of highly-pathogenic avian influenza since October, the latest one as recent as Christmas Day.
Most were not commercial poultry farms; the last one of them was Dec. 9.
At one point there were so many popping up in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and surrounding area that it seemed like the whole industry there was going down. But it was mainly little flocks where migrating geese and ducks had shed their poop.
The province has lost almost six million birds to the virus this fall. The national toll is almost 11 million.
In the United States, California has had 539,000 cases since Dec. 18, reports Meatingplace Magazine citing United States Department of Agriculgture data.
California has lost 3.7 million birds held in 15 commercial flocks since the first official cases on Feb 8, 2022.
Kansas lost 800,00 commercial layers this week. That brings the toll to 1.5 million birds at two commercial flocks and seven backyard flocks since October.
Michigan lost nearly 40,000 birds in Muskegon County last week.
Province wants to change deadstock incinerator rules
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs wants to amend the Nutrient Management Act to place new requirements on the incinerators used to dispose of deadstock.
“We are proposing to amend (the regulations) to remove the reference to ETV Canada” standards for the incinerators to:
- Allow for an incinerator type that has been issued a verification certificate under the former ETV (Environmental Technology Verification) Canada program.
- Allow for any incinerator of a type that has been issued a verification statement in accordance with the ISO 14034:2016 standard (as amended from time to time) stating it can meet the above-mentioned performance criteria.
_ Clarify that verification certificates or statements need only be issued once for a given incinerator type to meet the regulatory requirements (i.e. verification certificates would continue to be valid irrespective of expiry dates).
“We are also exploring potential alternatives to the ETV process for establishing incinerator performance. Obtaining a Verification Certificate through the ETV process is expensive and can be a challenge for individual operators and may unduly prevent otherwise well designed and effective incinerator,” said the OMAFRA posting on the province’s regulatory registry.
The proposals are open for comment until Feb. 20.
Three added to Species at Risk advisory committee
Ryan Park of Chatham, William Trimble of Hanmer and Stephanie Thibeault of Timmins have been appointed to three-year terms on the Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee.
The Committee makes recommendations to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks on matters that relate to the implementation of the province's species at risk program.
The program impacts farmers when it declares a species at risk, such as bob-o-links, whose habitats, such as farm fields, need protection.
Grass-fed cattle have high carbon emissions
Grass-fed cattle have greater greenhouse gas emissions than previously believed, according to a new study by Daniel Blaustein-Rejito of the Breakthrough Institute in the United States.
His results broadened the measurements beyond the farts and belches of the cattle to include the entire life cycle and consumption.
The study gathered information from 16 countries and concluded that cattle finished in feedlots on grain-based rations emitted 20 per cent less greenhouse gases.
However, when incorporating soil carbon sequestration and carbon opportunity cost, the total carbon footprint of pasture-finished operations was 42 per cent greater, higher, highlighting the impact of land use intensity, the study concluded.
Saturday, December 23, 2023
Feds to reduce temporary foreign workers
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said he is going to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers and foreign students because Canada is short of housing.
Most of his remarks to reporters were about foreign students.
“It’s clear that that does put pressure on the system and particularly our housing needs,” he said.
Temporary foreign residents enter Canada through various routes, including as international students, who then gain postgraduate work permits to stay on, or as temporary agricultural workers. Ukrainians fleeing war also fall under that category.
He said the number of temporary immigrants has “skyrocketed” recently and cited the Statistics Canada count 313,000 non-permanent residents, most of them coming under work or study permits. Canada’s population increased by a record 430,000 during the third quarter this year.
Friday, December 22, 2023
Sunova loses motion to toss tribunal chair
Sunova Equipment Ltd. has lost its motion to have tribunal chairman Glenn Walker removed when it pursues its appeal against Claas of America Inc.
Eric Gillespie and John May, arguing on behalf of Sunova, sought to have Walker excluded because he had been involved in negotiations seeking a settlement.
Walker wrote in his decision by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal, that “I find that the high bar established by the case law has not been met and that there are no grounds on which I should recuse myself in this matter. The motion is dismissed.”
Species at Risk due to change
The province has posted on-line notice that it is planning to revamp its Species at Risk regulations. They have an impact on farmland and crops management.
One proposal is to shorten the timeframe from 20 to 10 years such that any part of a stream or other watercourse that was used by Redside Dace at any time during the previous 10 years would be considered to be ‘occupied’ habitat under the regulation
Proposed amendmants focus habitat protections on areas that have a high likelihood of supporting Redside Dace or have a high likelihood of contributing to the species’ recovery. All areas currently occupied by the species will remain protected.
Since April, 2022, the Species at Risk Conservation Fund (Fund) has provided an alternative way for beneficial actions to be undertaken (the “Fund option”) for designated conservation fund species.
Instead of requiring individual proponents to complete beneficial actions for impacted species, proponents can pay a species conservation charge to the Fund. The Fund is administered by the Species Conservation Action Agency (Agency), which funds strategic, large-scale, and coordinated actions led by species conservation experts to support more positive outcomes for the long-term interests of conservation fund species. It is important to note that regardless of the options chosen, proponents are still required to take action to minimize impacts on species at risk and their habitats.
Following implementation of the Fund option, there has been a change in the classification status of one conservation fund species, Barn Swallow, from threatened to special concern, by the independent committee that is responsible for assessing and classifying species at risk in Ontario.
With this change, the species:
- is no longer protected by the prohibitions in sections 9 and 10 of the ESA
- no longer qualifies as a conservation fund species nor is its existing conditional exemption applicable
We have also had an opportunity to consider the conditional exemptions for conservation fund species, particularly for Butternut, to assess whether the existing requirements continue to be appropriate.
The following species were listed as threatened or endangered on the SARO List on January 25, 2023 to reflect the species classifications in the COSSARO's Report submitted to the Minister in January 2022:
Davis's Shieldback (insect) – threatened
Lake Chubsucker (fish) – endangered (previously listed as threatened)
Lesser Yellowlegs (bird) – threatened
Purple Wartyback (mollusc) – threatened
Red Knot - Tierra del Fuego / Patagonia wintering population (bird) – endangered
Red Knot - Southeastern USA / Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean wintering population (bird) – endangered
Rapids Clubtail (insect) – threatened (previously listed as endangered)
Reversed Haploa Moth (insect) – threatened
Short-eared Owl (bird) – threatened (previously listed as special concern)
Striped Whitelip (mollusc) – endangered
Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee (insect) – endangered
Western Silvery Aster (plant) – threatened (previously listed as endangered)
We are proposing to make exemptions under O. Reg. 242/08 available to proponents (as applicable) to the species noted above.
We are proposing that all relevant provisions of the regulation would apply to each of the above species with the following exceptions:
Lake Chubsucker (fish) – endangered
All relevant provisions of the regulation would apply, except:
Section 23.4 – Aquatic species
Section 23.18 – Threats to health and safety, not imminent
Davis’s Shieldback (insect) – threatened
All relevant provisions of the regulation would apply, except:
Section 23.13 – Transition – activity ongoing when prohibitions first apply
Section 23.18 – Threats to health and safety, not imminent.
Reversed Haploa Moth (insect) – threatened
All relevant provisions of the regulation would apply, except:
Section 23.13 – Transition – activity ongoing when prohibitions first apply
Section 23.18 – Threats to health and safety, not imminent
Suckley’s Cuckoo Bumble Bee (insect) – endangered
All relevant provisions of the regulation would apply, except:
Section 23.13 - Transition – activity ongoing when prohibitions first apply
Section 23.18 - Threats to health and safety, not imminent
Striped Whitelip (mollusc) – endangered
All relevant provisions of the regulation would apply, except:
Section 23.13 - Transition – activity ongoing when prohibitions first apply
Section 23.18 - Threats to health and safety, not imminent
There are a series of proposed changes for mining-industry trails.
The following species are protected during construction projects
Mitigation: Avoid known or potential high-use areas (nursery areas, winter use areas, travel corridors), limit sensory disturbances.
Mitigation: Avoid known den sites, limit sensory disturbances, elimination of food attractants, ensure construction and re-opening of trails occurs outside the denning season (i.e., Jan. 15 to May 31).
Birds (e.g., Bank Swallow, Lesser Yellowlegs, American White Pelican, Hudsonian Godwit, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, King Rail, Least Bittern, Red Knot Rufa (all subspecies), Short-eared Owl, etc.)
Mitigation: Minimize footprint and sensory disturbances, do not construct or re-open trails during nesting periods of species known to be in the area, cease activities if species enter the exploration site, and allow reasonable time for species to leave the site before the continuance of exploration activities.
Reptiles (e.g., Blanding's Turtle, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Eastern Foxsnake (Georgian Bay population), Massasauga (Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Population))
Mitigation: Avoid known breeding sites or hibernacula, use of timing windows to avoid construction during critical life stages, cease activities if species enter the exploration site, and allow reasonable time for species to leave the site before the continuance of exploration activities, use of appropriate exclusion fencing.
Bats (e.g., Eastern Small-footed Myotis, Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis, Tri-colored Bat)
Mitigation: Avoid known breeding sites or hibernacula, minimize sensory disturbances, use of timing windows to avoid construction during critical life stages, cease activities if species encounter the exploration site, and allow reasonable time for species to leave the site before the continuance of exploration activities.
Other mammals (e.g., Gray Fox, Polar Bear)
Mitigation: Avoid known breeding or denning sites, limit sensory disturbances, use of timing windows to avoid construction during critical life stages, cease activities if species encounter the exploration site, and allow reasonable time for species to leave the site before the continuance of exploration activities.
Plants (e.g., Vascular Plants, Mosses, Lichens)
Mitigation: Avoid the removal of individuals where possible, avoid or limit impacts to habitat where possible.
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FCC says interest rates will decline
Farm Credit Canada said interest rates will likely begin to decline late next year.
That’s despite indications that inflation could persist in the United States.
Krishen Rangasamy, manager of FCC Economics, said “the U.S. economy did well in the third quarter [of 2023], but decelerated quite a bit in the fourth quarter. What we see here is the U.S. Fed saying ‘we have raised rates enough, we think. They’re at 5.5 per cent now, and we’re already seeing interest rates have done their job.’”
The FC C said in its recent economic outlook that Canadian farmers have been well-positioned to weather the storm, especially when compared to others such aa homeowners with variable-rate mortgages.
Farmland prices have remained strong and farmers are buying equipment despite price hikes.
“Higher (interest) rates of course make life harder, because borrowing costs are higher,” Rangasamy said. “But farm cash receipts were good in both 2022 and 2023, which explains why we are seeing this resilience.”
The next challenge for farmers will be managing their interest rate risk. With long-term interest rates lower than short-term ones, a fixed-term rate might be more attractive.
Buhler Industries sold
Buhler Industries has been sold to Babak Traktör Tarim Ziraat Ve Iş Makinalari Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş., a subsidiary of ASKO Holding, of Turkey.
The $60.5-million deal includes all of the shares and outstanding debt owed to Russian company Rostselmash.
The Russians took off when Canada imposed sanctions for Russia’a invasion of the Ukraine and the business has been by the Canadian management team.
“We believe that ASKO Holding’s deep understanding and involvement in the agricultural equipment industry, will assist the Company in achieving its immense potential for future growth and innovation.” said Grant Adolph, chief operating officer of Buhler Industries.
Rostselmash owned about 97 per cent of Buhler’s shares. It purchased some 80 per cent of shares in 2007 for $145 million and increased its stake with a $12.25 million purchase of 16.3 per cent of shares in 2021.
Buhler Industries manufactures the Versatile tractor line and Farm King equipmenr
After the Ukraine war began in February, 2022, Buhler issues a news release saying it “operates with autonomy” and its “decisions are made in Canada.” Shortly thereafter, its board accepted the resignation of long-time member Konstantin Babkin, who had Russian political ties.
Denfield Livestock Exchange sold
Jeff Stanton said they didn’t want it to close because they use it to sell cull cows and calves.
Stanton Farms is among the largest dairy farms in the province and has an international market for its purebred Holsteins.
Miller’s Dairy thrives selling eggnog
The Globe and Mail reports that ”six years ago, John and Marie Miller stood in their kitchen over a steaming pot of eggnog.
"Neither of them liked eggnog – or at least the stuff they could buy in the stores – but the couple had been determined to create one that could convert even the most dubious.”
As the fifth-generation owners of Miller’s Dairy, an 800-acre dairy and crop operation outside the village of Creemore, Ont., they had been fielding calls from customers asking for the creamy concoction for years.
“We were always getting bombarded with requests,” Ms. Miller said. “We just had to make it.”
John Miller
It took a good deal of recipe experimentation, but the Millers say they perfected an eggnog that appeals even to those who don’t typically like it.
Not too spicy and made with extra-rich milk from their Jersey cows, their eggnog has become a hit: They’re on track to sell 33,000 litres across southern Ontario this year after launching the product in 2017, when they sold 14,000 litres.
Now, they’re being asked to push production back to encompass Canadian Thanksgiving, and have even made the eggnog flavour available year round as an ice cream.
“It’s the richness, and it’s the texture. If it’s going to be a treat, it had better be good,” Mr. Miller said.
The Millers’ eggnog production starts in late September, when the farm stops making its strawberry and coffee-flavoured milk products.
The main component of the eggnog – the dairy – comes from the farm’s 130 Jersey cows. Mr. Miller says working with the herd is his favourite part of the production process. “
The farm uses the deposit and return bottle system to keep the production environmentally friendly and they distribute only to the area around Creemore to save on fuel and time, Mrs. Miller said.
Currently, they do not sell to Toronto.
Timing is important: Eggnog production needs to be wrapped a few days before the end of the year, when customers start to watch their waistlines after indulging during the holidays.
“We do not want to have any eggnog in possession after New Year’s, because no one will buy it then,” Mr. Miller said. The first year they made eggnog, they had to throw out nearly 1,000 litres of unsold product.
For those who have extra eggnog, he recommends adding it to pancakes or using it to make French toast.
But in the Miller household, there’s rarely any left by the end of the year. Despite their early doubts, the couple has been converted.
“I have a little bit of eggnog every night, because I absolutely love it,”Miller said.
Supermarket chiefs garner super pay
Metro paid its chief executive, Eric La Flèche, $5.5 million, Sobeys paid chief executive Michael Medline $6.67 million and Loblaws paid Galen Weston $11.79 million.
This despite a strike by workers at Toronto’s Metro stores, a cybersecurity breach at Sobeys and a bread price-fixing scandal at Loblaws. And consumer anger about rising profits and food prices.
In all three cases, salaries were much less than bonuses, often paid in the form of stock options.
The Toronto-area strike cost Metro $36.3-million. The cybersecurity breach cost Empire about $32 million, and that’s after insurance compensation. Lolblaws paid a $50 million fine for bread price-fixing.
Cheese from U.K. vanishing
Cheese imports from the United Kingdom will end Jan. 1 because there is no trade deal since the U.K. left the European Union market.
There has been an interim three-year agreement that allowed continued imports, but it ends Dec. 31.
Darren Larvin, chief executive officer for Coombe Castle International, is frustrated because the company has spent four decades developing a market in Canada, much of it for cheddar cheeses for the Christmas season.
He said he is “pretty desperate” because Canadian imports account for about a third of the company’s revenues for award-winning cheeses. It ships abour two million kilograms a year, including party platters, Advent calendars and maple cheddar.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised dairy farmers that there will be no more yielding to dairy imports in upcoming trade deals and Dairy Farmers of Canada president Pierre Lampron is reminding him to hold to that promise in the ongoing negotiations with the U.K.
"For dairy farmers, a promise made is a promise kept and we expect the same from our government," Lampron wrote in a Dec. 1 letter to Trudeau.
"The Canadian dairy industry must not be further penalized by the U.K.'s decision," Lampron said. "New access to the Canadian dairy sector should remain off the negotiation table."
A private member's bill currently in the Senate could also tie negotiators' hands and prohibit future trade treaties from conceding additional imports of supply-managed farm products such as cheese.
In 2023, tariff-rate quota was allocated for up to:
- 16 million kg from the European Union;
- 3.6 million kg from the member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Pacific Rim dairy exporters such as Australia and New Zealand (plus an additional eight million kg of industrial cheese and 2.9 million kg of mozzarella and prepared cheeses from the CPTPP bloc);
- 4.1 million kg under the the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement plus an additional 4.1 million kg of industrial cheeses from the U.S. or Mexico;
- 20.4 million kg to fulfil World Trade Organization obligations, of which:
-14.3 million is reserved for EU members and 6.1 million is available to all other countries.
A side letter on cheese written to accompany the Canada–U.K. Trade Continuity Agreement in 2020 said that "cheese originating in the United Kingdom shall continue to be eligible to be imported into Canada under the reserve for the European Union within Canada's WTO cheese TRQ until no later than Dec. 31, 2023."
After that, companies such as Coombe Castle must compete with exporters from other countries such as Switzerland for space in the second, smaller WTO reserve for non-EU countries, which is already 96 per cent used.
In the meantime, French, German or Dutch cheese could fill the gaps British products leave on Canadian shelves. "Something else will replace it, because retailers have to plan for the future," Larvin said. "It's sad, really."
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Linamar buys Bourgault
Linamar Corp. of Guelph is paying $640 million to buy Bourgault Industries Ltd. to add to its agriculture holdings of MacDon and Salford.
Linamar’s main business is making parts for cars.
Bourgault is based in Saskatchewan where it makes seeding equipment that also applies fertilizers. It was started by inventor Frank Bougault and his son, Gerry, took over and incorporated the business in 1974.
Linamar’s president and chief operating officer, Jim Jarrell, said this is Linamar’s third purchase of an agriculture manufacturing business this year.
It bought MacDon in 2017 and added Salford in Apri,l 2022, for $250 million.
Linda Hasenfratz, Linamar’s chief executive officer and executive chair, said the acquisition offers “tremendous opportunity” for her company to diversify and grow its agriculture platform.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
MEDA gets $11.9 million for Honduras farm project
The federal government is supporting a farming project in Honduras with $11.9 million.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates of Waterloo is investing $1.46 million.
The six-year project is to enhance market systems for smallholder coffee and cacao farmers.
MEDA said it will be working with 7,000 women and youths who farm and 80 agricultural businesses.
Dorothy Nyambi, the president and chief executive officer for MEDA, says the project will create or improve job opportunities for at least 5,250 women and youth. And sustain a minimum 1,750 jobs.
"This investment will be critical to coffee and cacao smallholder farmers delivering sustainable yields and mitigating climate change effects in Honduras," Nyambi said.
"The climate crisis has led to prolonged dry spells and as people risk hunger, more farmers are unable to make ends meet and often make the devastating choice to flee their homes," said Ahmed Hussen, federal minister of International Development.
"MEDA's OCIDA project will combine expertise in sustainable agriculture, financial services and investment to create more opportunities for women and youth facing this challenge."