Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeAgricultureCompetition Bureau intervenes in $150-million grain takeover, forcing sale of Saskatchewan elevatorParrish and Heimbecker is required to keep the affected terminal in operation until a subsequent sale is completedLast updated 55 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Grain elevators are critical infrastructure that receive and store harvested crops from surrounding farms before it's shipped for processing or export. Photo by Bryan Schlosser/ Regina Leader-PostCanada’s competition watchdog has weighed in on a proposed takeover in the grain supply chain in the prairies, which farmers worried would cut into their profits.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorParrish and Heimbecker Ltd., one of the country’s largest agribusinesses, wants to buy a competitor for $150 million, giving the Winnipeg company ownership of 36 grain elevators across Western Canada.As part of the deal, Parrish and Heimbecker would take over four high-capacity inland terminals across Saskatchewan and Alberta from supply chain company GrainsConnect Canada Operations Inc.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe Competition Bureau reviewed the proposal to determine whether the Manitoba company’s expanded ownership of grain elevators would be anti-competitive and force farmers to accept lower prices for grain, hitting their bottom lines.It found only one of the grain handling assets would “reduce competition for the purchase of wheat from farmers.”The Competition Bureau announced on Friday that it reached an agreement with Parrish and Heimbecker that forces it to resell a 35,000-tonne facility in Reford, Sask., upon the commission’s approval.“The sale will help ensure that farmers in the region continue to benefit from competition when selling wheat and other grains,” the independent federal agency said.Grain elevators are critical infrastructure that receive and store harvested crops from surrounding farms before it’s shipped for processing or export. Farmers typically see a spread in grain prices among terminals in the region.The Reford elevator is down the way from Holman Farming Group’s own 20,000 acres of cropland. With Parrish and Heimbecker already owning two nearby terminals, farmer Dan Holman says he’s happy that it won’t be adding a third facility.“From a farm competition point of view, I’m happy to see a new company come into the area that will hopefully take over,” said Holman, the general manager of his family farm in west-central Saskatchewan.If a company had a monopoly in the region, it could offer lower grain prices to nearby farmers. If farmers decided to deliver their grains to other terminals with higher prices, they’d face higher fuel costs that would eat into margins, Holman explains.Under the terms of the binding agreement with the Competition Bureau, Parrish and Heimbecker is required to keep the terminal in operation until a subsequent sale is completed.The company said it continues to “respectfully but vigorously disagree” with the Competition Bureau.While it did agree to sell off its soon-to-be acquired grain handling asset, the company said it’s a “pragmatic business decision to avoid prolonged regulatory delay.”The commission made a 2022 ruling that Parrish and Heimbecker’s purchase of a grain elevator in Virden did not prevent competition in southwestern Manitoba. Parrish and Heimbecker argues the same decision should apply in this case.GrainsConnect was a joint venture between Australia-based GrainCorp Ltd. and Japan’s Zen-Noh Grain Corp. The deal also includes a 50-per cent interest in the Fraser Grain Terminal at the Port of Vancouver.The Australian partner said the decision to sell off GrainsConnect resulted from a “challenging” period, forcing its owners to launch a strategic review for potential pathways to recovery, leading to a total sale.Before the Competition Bureau’s decision, GrainCorp expected to close the deal in the second half of 2026.GrainCorp would retain its Winnipeg marketing offices where it provides market intelligence to the broader company.The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. 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