Ethanol's future bright in Canada Wednesday, April 13, 2011 by SUSAN MANNFederal and provincial governments in Canada have supported the ethanol industry’s launch and a Greenfield Ethanol spokesman expects that will continue as innovative companies develop new biofuels and renewable chemicals.Barry Wortzman, Greenfield vice president of business development, says in its budget Quebec just announced “support of next generation ethanol by way of operating support in order to ensure the industry can get a kick start.”Wortzman says he thinks the federal government and other provinces will adopt that model.“I think Canada is in the forefront of being supportive of the new industries,” he says.He made the comments during a teleconference from Washington. D.C. organized by the Biotechnology Industry Association (BIO) held to preview some speeches and presentations at BIO’s upcoming congress on industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing. The congress will be in Toronto May 8-11. Brent Erickson, BIO executive vice president, says industrial biotechnology is the bridge between industry and agriculture that’s creating an economic transformation away from the current petroleum-based economy. The world wide bio-based economy, which uses renewable agricultural resources to produce fuel, chemicals and other consumer materials, such as synthetic rubber, is projected to generate $230 billion in economic activity by 2020, according to a report from the World Economic Forum released at last year’s congress. “This sector has really grown.”The United States and Canada are well positioned to lead in the development of the bio- based economy and “in capturing its value,” he says. Seven per cent of Canada’s economy, equal to about $78 billion, is already driven by biotechnology and a significant additional portion is driven by agriculture.BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organizations in the United States and more than 30 other countries. BF Province delays cap and trade plan Decision delayed
Canada Faces Below-Average Hurricane Season, Will Farmers be Safe? Wednesday, May 27, 2026 As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, Canadian farmers and rural communities are being reminded that preparation remains critical, even with forecasts calling for fewer storms. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says modern forecasting systems are ready to deliver... Read this article online
Ontario Invests $7M in Agri-Food Innovation Tuesday, May 26, 2026 The Ontario government is committing up to $7 million to support 34 new research projects aimed at transforming innovative ideas into practical, market-ready solutions for farmers and food processors across the province. Delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms invests over $100 million to build advanced poultry plant in Woodstock Monday, May 25, 2026 Ontario’s agri-food sector is set for another major boost as Sunrise Farms announced an investment of more than $100 million to build a state-of-the-art poultry processing facility in Woodstock. The expansion—described as the largest greenfield project in the company’s history—will... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Monday, May 25, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Monday, May 25, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online