Firm Bill Boyd promoted in China changes name, says he doesn't have active role

The company at the centre of the controversy surrounding MLA Bill Boyd's business dealings in China has changed its name.

The company formerly known as Modern Hi-Efficiency Agriculture Corporation is now called AgroTarget Corporation.

The name change was registered Aug. 15 — the day before Boyd, the MLA for Kindersley, announced he's quitting politics and two days before CBC broke the story about Boyd's relationship to the company.

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An email from the company's public relations firm says Boyd is not connected to this new company.

"Bill will not play any active role in AgroTarget," the email sent to CBC says.

Boyd said earlier he was chairman

Boyd seemed to be very involved in Modern Hi-Efficiency —  a company that was founded in November 2016.

Days ago, he told CBC he is the chairman of the company. The company's irrigation pilot project took place on his canola field.

He was the keynote speaker at a Beijing seminar in March promoting the company to Chinese investors. Potential investors were told that putting money in the company would help them immigrate to Canada.

At the time, Boyd was not in cabinet, although promotional materials identified him by his old position, minister of the economy.

Boyd says he made it clear he was appearing as a farmer and businessman and not as a representative of the government.

Company felt original name 'too long'

Through their public relations firm, the directors of Modern Hi-Efficiency, Yanggong Yang and Ning Xu,  explained that the name change has been in the works for months.

"The company felt that the original name was too long, so they condensed it to AgroTarget," the statement said.

"AgroTarget will still continue to do the same work as Modern Hi-Efficiency Agriculture Corporation, to try and attract private investment in irrigation developments on Saskatchewan farmlands."

After CBC raised questions about Boyd's China dealings, Boyd asked the province's conflict of interest commissioner to do a report.

The provincial NDP has asked the RCMP to investigate.