Regina, Saskatchewan, July 15, 2026 – Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is offering support for customers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan facing financial pressure due to flooding, as well as delayed field operations caused by severe weather.

“We stand by our customers over the long term,” said Angy Porteous, senior vice-president, agriculture business financing at FCC. “We have a unique responsibility to partner with our customers and ease their financial stress where possible.”

FCC will consider additional short-term credit options, deferral of principal payments and other solutions designed to reduce financial pressures on producers affected by severe weather. In addition to providing financial flexibility during challenging times, FCC supports investments that help strengthen resilience to weather-related risks, including water management, drainage, flood mitigation and other climate adaptation initiatives.

“Our focus is on helping producers maintain cash flow, continue operating and recover from the impacts of these extreme weather events,” Porteous said.

Customers affected by severe weather events are encouraged to contact their FCC relationship manager or the FCC Customer Service Centre at 1-888-332-3301 to discuss their individual situation and available options.

Alfa Laval’s recently formed Food & Pharma Division signals a step change in ambition – not least within food. It creates an organization with sharpened focus and greater innovation muscle, making the food industry's most capable and future-ready partner even stronger.

For more than 140 years, Alfa Laval has separated, heated, cooled and handled the products and ingredients that nourish people worldwide. The transformation of its Food & Water Division into the Food & Pharma Division highlights a stronger focus on pharmaceutical production. But it also marks an important new chapter in relation to food.

The strategic reorganization, built around distinct route-to-market paths, enhances customer alignment while bringing R&D investment to a historic level. Food – extending from dairy, beverages, edible oils, and meat and fish processing to the frontiers of alternative proteins and fermentation-based production – is the clear and dominant core.

“Food is our foundation and the most significant driver for future growth,” says Sammy Hulpiau, President, Alfa Laval Food & Pharma Division. “With our new framework, we can leverage strengths more effectively, creating opportunities for food and beverage producers and growing at pace alongside them. Together, we can meet the challenges of a dynamic food landscape and create tomorrow’s more resilient food infrastructure.”

An end-to-end partner across the food value chain

Alfa Laval's offering combines breadth with depth across separation, heat transfer and fluid handling. Recent product additions include hygienic WideGap heat exchangers for fibrous fluids and Foodec Oil Plus decanters for fat extraction. Many innovations, such as PureFerm separators or the Alfa Laval Fermentation System, enable entirely new methods of food production.

With so many solutions, Alfa Laval experts can apply multiple technological approaches to a given process challenge. Customers have a partner who can engage with flexibility, offering alternative ways to meet their needs. The new divisional structure, with its more direct channels for specific knowledge and resources, delivers that expertise efficiently.

“Customers value our understanding of their processes and directions,” says Christian Thomsen, Business Unit President Process Engineering Solutions, Alfa Laval Food & Pharma Division. “We help them optimize today’s operations by maximizing uptime, improving yields and cutting consumption of water and energy. But we also support their growth into new areas, whether by converting side streams into revenue or by introducing new production methods. With our revised structure, we can do those things even better.”

Ready to meet the needs of a changing food industry

The forces reshaping food production are powerful. Global population is projected to exceed 10 billion by 2060, driving sustained demand growth. Resource constraints require greater efficiency in the use of water and energy. As geopolitical pressures alter supply chains and amplify the call for regional food security, consumer preferences are diversifying.

All this means food producers must be faster, more flexible and more innovative – not just in what they produce, but also in how they produce it. With the new organization and substantial new investments in innovation, Alfa Laval is poised to help customers succeed. The company is working on two levels: continuously improving the processes that drive today’s production, while also developing capabilities for next-generation food.

“As a whole, the food industry must optimize what it does today while pioneering what it needs to achieve tomorrow,” says Sammy Hulpiau. “But individual producers must find their own balance point, and Alfa Laval can assist on both fronts. Our new structure is a robust platform for all customers, allowing us to meet existing challenges without taking our eyes off the horizon.”

Innovation infrastructure to take food forward

The commitment to innovation – whether for current or coming needs – is physical as well as structural. Alfa Laval’s Application & Innovation Centre in Kolding, Denmark, and its technology laboratory in Flemingsberg, Sweden, have long supported idea testing and solution development with customers. In spring 2027, they will be joined by Alfa Laval’s Food Application & Innovation Centre – a 1,200 m² collaboration hub in the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

"Alfa Laval’s Food Application & Innovation Centre is a clear signal of our dedication to customers and other food stakeholders. Together, at the new centre and beyond, we will shape the evolution of food and lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s food supply," says Christian Thomsen.

Richmond, B.C. (July 13, 2026) — WorkSafeBC announced today that the preliminary average base rate for 2027 will remain at $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll. Subject to final approval by WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors in the fall, this will be the 10th consecutive year that the average base rate has remained at this level.

Surplus funds returned to employers

WorkSafeBC’s rate-setting approach includes mechanisms to return surplus funds to employers when the funding level exceeds its target. In 2027, WorkSafeBC is proposing to return almost $1 billion ($960 million) of surplus funds to employers through discounted rates and assessment credits.

• Discounted rates: WorkSafeBC is returning an estimated $677 million of surplus funds to employers by pricing base rates below the costs to run the workers’ compensation system. The preliminary average base rate of $1.55 will be 18 per cent less than the projected average cost rate of $1.88 in 2027, with the difference funded by the surplus.

• Assessment credits: WorkSafeBC is also providing $283 million in assessment credits to employer accounts in 2027 in those industry groups with significant surpluses. This credit will apply to approximately 31,000 employers in 15 industry groups.

Between 2019 and 2027, WorkSafeBC projects that $3.9 billion of surplus funds will have been returned to employers, primarily through the pricing of base rates below costs.

Changes in 2027 will enhance rate stability

While the average base rate will be unchanged in 2027, each year, the costs in some industries go up, some go down and others stay the same. In 2027, more than half (52 per cent) of employers will either see a decrease in their base rate (30 per cent) or no change (22 per cent), while 48 per cent will see an increase.

To keep rates as stable as possible, base rate increases and decreases are normally capped at 20 per cent. However, given the continuing economic uncertainties facing the province, for 2027, WorkSafeBC will restrict base rate increases to a maximum of 15 per cent, while allowing base rate reductions of up to 30 per cent. This temporary approach, which was also used in 2026, is intended to provide greater rate stability for B.C. employers during challenging economic times.

WorkSafeBC’s strong financial position has allowed the average base rate to remain flat, despite upward claim-cost pressures — particularly for psychological-injury and chronic-pain claims — and a reduction in the surplus.

Premiums fund the workers’ compensation system

The Workers Compensation Act requires WorkSafeBC to set premium rates annually for employers to pay for the workers' compensation system. The system is structured so that today’s employers are accountable for the full cost of today’s workplace injuries.

Premium rate increases and decreases are mainly driven by injury rates, return-to-work performance, and the resulting cost of claims, as well as investment returns.

WorkSafeBC operates a non-profit system funded solely by employer premiums and investment returns. Premiums fund the costs associated with work-related injuries and diseases, health care, wage loss, rehabilitation and administration, including prevention and safety initiatives.

WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors will finalize the 2027 premium rates in October of this year.

Rate information sessions

Rate information sessions with stakeholders will take place this summer, with general information sessions scheduled for July 13, 14 and 15. These sessions are an opportunity for WorkSafeBC to provide an update on the financial state of the workers’ compensation system, rate and classification changes, and information on health and safety and return-to-work activities. Further details are posted online at worksafebc.com.

Saint-Hyacinthe, July 9 – Lovo, formerly Nutri Group, announced today the launch of its Egg Industrial Campus, an innovative agri-food manufacturing project spanning more than 600,000 square feet in the Saint-Hyacinthe industrial park. The project has two main components: a new industrial platform to modernize egg grading operations and a soon-to-be-built plant designed for secondary and tertiary food processing.

This important milestone for the company was highlighted today at a press conference attended by representatives of the Québec government and partners. The project is receiving $1.6 million in financial support from Québec’s Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ) and is also eligible for a loan of up to $20 million from Investissement Québec.

The Egg Industrial Campus will help Lovo meet evolving consumer needs and create new opportunities for growth. It also marks a milestone on the company’s journey to consolidate its position as an agri-food company specializing in egg processing and food innovation.

A landmark project for the future of Lovo

• The Industrial Egg Campus consists of four major, interdependent components:
• The modernized grading plant
• An egg-focused experimental kitchen and multidisciplinary workshop spaces (R&D, nutrition, recipe development, commercialization)
• A next-generation food processing plant
• New administrative offices

“The Industrial Egg Campus marks a turning point in our company’s history,” says Lovo CEO Sébastien Léveillé. “It will allow us to do more processing right here in Québec, develop new food products, and continue to grow while remaining deeply rooted in the lives of Canadian farmers. With this project, Lovo is taking a decisive step forward by building a truly integrated platform for agri-food innovation.”

Innovation at the heart of the Industrial Egg Campus

The new grading plant, located on Picard Street in Saint-Hyacinthe, will enable Lovo to increase its processing capacity, modernize its operations, and incorporate more automation and cutting-edge technologies.

In addition to modernizing the facilities, the project will serve to develop new manufacturing processes for creating new products derived from a natural, local, and affordable source of protein: eggs. By housing production, experimentation, and development within a single facility ecosystem, Lovo is positioning itself for continuous innovation and realizing its ambition to create food products that are healthy, simple, and delicious.

The Industrial Egg Campus will also include new administrative offices designed to foster collaboration among teams and support the company’s growth. This new work environment will strengthen synergies between strategic and operational functions, enabling Lovo to sustain its development and consolidate its role as a leading player in Quebec’s agri-food industry.