By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday September 1, 2020

Sep 1, 2020 | 11:01 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – After a mixed growing season, many Alberta farmers are looking at financial management options.

Alberta producers of over 50 agricultural commodities including crops, livestock and honey can now apply for FarmCash for the post-harvest fall advance starting today.

Farmers may be eligible to receive cash advances up to $1 million with the first $100,000 interest free, and the remainder at an interest rate of TD Prime minus 0.75 per cent.

FarmCash is an Advance Payments Program option under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and is administered by the Alberta Wheat Commission.

Producers can apply online at farmcashadvance.com or call 1-855-376-2274.

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CN Rail awarded a contract for 1,150 grain cars to National Steel Car in Hamilton.

The railroad operator said the deal brings to $1 billion the amount it plans to invest in Ontario by the end of 2022, including $250 million to build a logistics hub in Milton.

The order for the high-efficiency hopper cars comes amid a year of record grain movement at both CN and rival CP Rail.

The surging statistics are thanks largely to grain held over from last year following a late harvest as well as global demand for bread and pasta amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

CN Rail said earlier this month it hauled more than 30 million tonnes of grain in 2019-20, a seven per cent increase from the previous year.

CP moved 10 per cent more grain, at 29.5 million tonnes.

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The union representing workers at the Sofina Foods/Lilydale poultry processing plant in Calgary have called for the immediate closure of the plant following a COVID-19 outbreak.

An Alberta Health official confirmed there had been 19 cases as of Friday and 18 of those cases are considered active.

The Calgary facility, which also had an outbreak in April, manufactures fresh chicken products and employs about 450 people.

An official with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union called for the immediate closure of the facility until the outbreak has been contained and the workplace is safe.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF