Smithfield moves into gas production Friday, April 8, 2016 The largest pork-producing company in the world is months away from opening the largest manure-to-energy project of its kind in the United States.Nine Smithfield Foods farms housing almost two million pigs in Missouri are involved. The US$120 million project, begun in 2014, involves installation of impermeable covers and flare systems on 88 existing lagoons, each capable of holding about 15 million U.S. gallons. The hog manure will produce approximately 2.2 billion cubic feet of pipeline-quality renewable natural gas annually, equal to 17 million gallons of diesel fuel. The equivalent of 850,000 tonnes of CO² will be prevented from entering the atmosphere. Rain will be kept out of the lagoons and odour reduced.The builders are Missouri-based Roeslein Alternative Energy and ABUTEC (an acronym for Advanced Burner Technologies.), based in Georgia. According to press releases and reports, ABUTEC will install 1.5 megawatt electrical generators to deal with excess methane, letting Smithfield access about US$1 million-worth of carbon credits. Duke Energy in North Carolina will purchase the gas to meet clean energy requirements for power generation. Blake Boxley, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Smithfield Hog Production, says this project can be replicated across the country. BP Ontario's pork industry faces an era of 'accountability and change' That whacky Chinese pork stock market
Prairie ag organizations join Global Agriculture Technology Exchange Wednesday, September 18, 2024 Three ag organizations from western Canada have announced their involvement to help position Canada as a world leader in cereal grains. Alberta Grains, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and the Manitoba Crop Alliance are contributing more than $13 million towards the Global... Read this article online
Alistair MacGregor no longer federal NDP agriculture critic Wednesday, September 18, 2024 tom:11px">The federal NDP has a new agriculture critic. Richard Cannings, the MP for South Okanagan – West Kootenay, is stepping into the role after Alistair MacGregor, the MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, is moving onto different responsibilities. “Big news today, as I have... Read this article online
Where could ag fit in the fall session of Parliament? Tuesday, September 17, 2024 MPs returned to Ottawa this week to begin the fall session of Parliament. With the NDP pulling out of its supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals, a federal election could be triggered at any time if a non-confidence vote passes in the House. The carbon tax, cost of living... Read this article online
BASF introduces Surtain herbicide for field corn growers Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Field corn growers in eastern Canada have a new crop protection product available to them. After about 10 years of research and trials, BASF has introduced Surtain, a residual herbicide for corn that combines PPO inhibitor saflufenacil (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) in a premix... Read this article online
Canada rail union launches court challenges to back-to-work order Monday, September 16, 2024 The union representing workers at Canada's two main rail companies said on Friday it had filed court challenges against rulings by the country's industrial labor board that forced them back to work,Reuters reported. On Saturday, the board accepted a request from the government to order... Read this article online