Just days before he was to assume the position of CEO of Louis Dreyfus Commodities, a former Western Canadian grain industry executive has parted ways with the global agricultural trading company . Mayo Schmidt was to become the chief executive for Louis Dreyfus on January 5th. “Following a more detailed analysis of the terms and conditions of… Read More
Year: 2014
There were roughly 95 million cattle in the United States as of July 1, 2014, a 3% drop from 2012 numbers, but that could turn around, according to John Navlinka of Sterling Marketing. “I think we’re beginning to build herds and it’s going to be slow — it’s not going to be a rapid buildup… Read More
Manitoba farmers whose soil test results say they have soybean cyst nematode in their soil may want to get a second opinion, says a soil ecologist from the University of Manitoba. While the number of soybean acres has exploded on the eastern side of the Prairies over the last few years, Western Canadian growers have… Read More
Have you met someone with a degree from the University of Google? Perhaps you’ve even boasted those credentials when arguing your case over a contentious issue about food or agriculture. But if you’re frustrated that everyone is suddenly an expert on science without actually understanding it, this isn’t a new phenomenon. Dr. Joe Schwarcz, director… Read More
2014 started out with a lot of frustration: Grain was hardly moving through Canada as the Great White North experienced some record cold temperatures and record ice cover on the Great Lakes. With the railroads making more money moving oil, elevators couldn’t take deliveries and the amount of ships sitting at the port waiting for… Read More
The odds of a fertilizer shortage in Western Canada this upcoming spring are lower than they were last year, according to a Saskatchewan-based sales manager for fertilizer manufacturer Yara Canada. “We’re off to a good start. We’ve actually had record Q1 shipping of all products in Western Canada,” explains Dean Anderson in the interview below, filmed at… Read More
It’s been a wild finish to a wild year in the beef market, with prices dropping off over the last few weeks from the record highs set in November. While feeder cattle futures dropped by the limit for five consecutive days in mid-December, producers should not lose sight of the fact there’s still strong fundamental support for high cattle… Read More
Whether it’s dealing with lawsuits, showing disturbing images or simply dishing out medical advice, there’s no question ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ garners a lot of public attention. As a talk show, it also relies on a certain level of participation. “Lucky” fans have the opportunity to talk directly with Dr. Oz himself, and get the medical… Read More
It’s no wonder that Western Canada is watching what’s unfolding in Ontario closely. That province’s government’s move to closely regulate neonicotinoid seed treatments, even after changes in corn and soybean planting showed significant reductions in bee health risk, has many in the agriculture industry wondering what this means for pesticide access moving forward. In this… Read More
We’re proud of our team here at Real Agriculture — we’re an enthusiastic and passionate bunch, but did you know we’re not an ag-media-one-trick pony? You’ve heard one team member’s farmer rendition of “Santa, Baby”, and now our own Bern Tobin has shared the song below. Bern’s family, if you haven’t guessed by the accent, hails… Read More
A few weeks ago, the Grain Farmers of Ontario encouraged farmers to boycott the Ontario government’s public consultation process concerning new regulations governing access and use of neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybean seed. At the time, GFO stated that there was little to be gained at the public meeting, and that GFO and… Read More
Perhaps compelled by the Christmas spirit (although unlikely), two seed industry heavyweights have decided to settle their differences and drop their remaining legal challenges against each other. DuPont and Monsanto announced Tuesday that they have agreed to dismiss patent infringement lawsuits against each other over seed-related technologies. Monsanto had claimed DuPont infringed on certain Monsanto seed chipping patents, while DuPont claimed… Read More
Communication is essential to team success, whether you’re changing tires on the sidelines of a Formula One race, managing a family-run business or harvesting this year’s crop. You’ve likely already heard that we’ll be hosting TechTour LIVE! in the new year, with our event partner, Dow AgroSciences Canada. The event was born of the TechTour series, where we… Read More
The final government-backed reports regarding recommendations for the fate of the University of Guelph’s Alfred and Kemptville campuses rolled out in mid-December, and the findings were exactly what at least one group was hoping for. Marty Derks is chair of the Kemptville College Renewal Task Force assembled to maintain the Kemptville campus as an agriculture… Read More
Syngenta has announced it has received the safety certificate for its Agrisure Viptera trait (also know as “event MIR162”) from China’s regulatory authorities, formally granting import approval. The approval covers corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs), for food and feed use. The Agrisure Viptera corn trait provides protection against a broad… Read More