Glencore International and Viterra Inc. have announced the sale of Viterra to Glencore has been completed. The acquisition brings Glencore immediate critical mass in the key grain markets of North America through Viterra’s substantial Canadian operations, the company says in a release. Viterra also materially expands Glencore’s existing operations in Australia. Fran Malecha, formerly Chief… Read More
Month: December 2012
By Mike Cowbrough for FieldCropNews.com It seems to be an annual question. Do I add ammonium sulfate (AMS) to glyphosate? Will it improve weed control especially if my water source is hard? The short answer is no. Skeptical? I understand. There are many areas within the United States that insist the addition of ammonium sulfate… Read More
Canada’s Competition Bureau has approved the sale of Puratone Corporation to Maple Leaf Foods and Big Sky Farms to Olymel in a major step towards consolidation of Canada’s and especially Western Canada’s hog industry. The bureau said in a statement: “the Bureau concluded that the mergers were unlikely to lead to a substantial lessening or… Read More
Sir Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Over the last year or so, several significant changes and developments have occurred in the Canadian cereals sector – including most recently, the announcement by the federal government that the Canadian Grains Commission will move… Read More
Providing an optimal feed ration for each stage of cattle production takes planning, as forage and grain varies in quality and composition from year to year and from bin to bin. Feed testing is the integral first step to developing a balanced and complete ration. Optimal rations maximize feeding efficiency, which can help cattle producers… Read More
The 2012 growing season was a positive one for soybean growers in all parts of the Prairies. It was also very hot and dry in many areas at harvest. As such, the crop came off dry to very dry. Soybeans are prone to cracking under these conditions, and the cracks aren’t always visible. The issue… Read More
There’s no doubt that there are significant rules and regulations in place that farmers must follow in order to certify their production as organic. Canada has a rigourous organic standard, and organic farmers typically take several years to fully transition to the production system. In turn, Canadian consumers have more organic choices in supermarkets than… Read More
More government assistance is on the way for Ontario livestock producers facing severe forage shortages as a result of this summer’s dry growing conditions, according to a recent announcement by the federal government. The governments of Canada and Ontario will provide assistance through AgriRecovery to help livestock producers with transportation costs incurred in accessing feed… Read More
Reports of yellowed and even purple-tipped winter wheat are rolling in from across southern Ontario. Farmers are, understandably, concerned about what’s going on with the crop and how this may impact next year’s yield. Never fear, as Peter Johnson, OMAFRA wheat specialist, took the time to sit down with RealAgriculture.com and explain exactly what’s happening… Read More
The Wealthy Barber author and Dragon’s Den star, David Chilton, spoke at this year’s Farm Forum Event at Saskatoon, Sask., in late November. Produced by RealAgriculture.com Rob Saik, president of the Agri-Trend Group of Companies, caught up with David after his presentation to get his thoughts on not just identifying opportunities in agriculture, but also… Read More
Last week, the federal government announced three new Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-based programs under the Growing Forward 2 banner — AgriInnovation, AgriMarketing and AgriCompetitiveness. While the press release outlines some details about the programs, the supplied information was a little light. RealAgriculture.com asked AAFC for further details. Below is the Q and A exchange (unedited)…. Read More
2013 will be upon us before you know it and with that comes a great way to kick off the new year. FarmTech 2013 is one of Western Canada’s premiere agricultural events and a great place for producers to learn more about the industry. The three day event features 5 keynote speakers and over 30… Read More
After years of work and consultation, the federal government yesterday announced the Fair Rail Freight Service Act bill which includes an arbitration process when negotiations breakdown between shippers and rail companies and hefty fines levied against railways should they violate agreements. The amendment to the Transportation Act is an important milestone in balancing the commercial… Read More
Price discovery is a key aspect of grain marketing. It can also be time consuming and take a lot of legwork. Once you do find a price you’re happy with there may still be a few hiccups before a transaction is completed, either because of cross-border services and paperwork or with grade disputes at the… Read More
For those who didn’t tune in this weekend to an episode of CTV’s W5 on “factory farming”, let me sum it up for you: according to the episode hog farmers are heartless, sadist wretches that abuse and mistreat all their animals. While attacks and misinformation on and about farming practices aren’t rare, this particular program… Read More