After months of anticipation, the grain and oilseed market finally got to see the U.S.D.A.’s acreage estimates for 2015 on Tuesday morning. While traders had braced themselves for some surprises and volatility, most of the numbers in both the Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks reports fell within the range of expectations. However, the numbers… Read More
Month: March 2015
Ontario farmers with wheat in the ground are having to adjust their management practices to accommodate the late start to spring, especially after the cold, wet fall of 2014. Weather conditions this spring have hampered efforts to apply nitrogen or frost-seed cover crops in winter wheat, explains Peter Johnson, a.k.a. @WheatPete, in this conversation with… Read More
“When the land is dry, it’s no longer about planning, it’s about execution — it’s our Super Bowl.” That’s a quote from Pride Seeds’ Ken Currah, who caught up with Bernard Tobin for the above Corn School. Currah and Tobin, sheltered from the rain, discussed the importance of preparing for seeding, and having a plan… Read More
It’s looking more and more like spring in Western Canada, and cattle prices are continuing to impress with seasonal demand, tight supplies and an American dollar hovering around $0.80. In this, the latest episode of the Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko, with Gateway Livestock, talks to RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith about prices across the border and here… Read More
Phosphorus is essential for growing crops, but it becomes a pollutant when too much of it moves into waterways, including major water bodies like Lake Erie. How climate and management practices, such as tile drainage and tillage, impact the movement of nutrients from farm fields into the water system is the focus of much of… Read More
From seeding rates, to seeding date, crop rotation and more, managing herbicide resistant weeds is about so much more than just what you decide to spray your fields with. That’s because each decision that impacts weed pressure, also impacts weed control, and every time you go over your crops with a herbicide, you’re putting selection… Read More
Weekly grain shipping requirements for CN and CP Rail came to an end on March 28th, as the federal government decided it would not renew the Order-in-Council mandating the railways ship a minimum amount of grain each week. The minimums were implemented in the spring of 2014 to address the backlog of grain across Western… Read More
The optimism being felt by the Canadian government about agriculture in our country is certainly not shared by farmers to our immediate south, about their own future. Ottawa issued a news release a few weeks ago, proclaiming happy days were here for Canadian farmers. It painted a positive outlook for farmers, pointing specifically to what… Read More
Canaryseed is not listed as an official grain in the Canada Grain Act, so farmers selling the crop have no protection from the Canadian Grain Commission’s licensing and bonding program. The Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan (CDSC) issued a notice on Monday reminding producers about payment risk, while singling out a Melfort-based specialty crop buyer. The… Read More
Family business is a challenge for any family. Whether you are the Jones down the lane, the Millers around the bend or the McMahons of WWE fame, family business has advantages and disadvantages. Keeping the drama low in a family business environment can mean success or failure for the business long term. Since it is… Read More
Tight stocks and a reduction in acres could be supportive for corn prices come Tuesday, as the U.S.D.A. will release its Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks reports. That’s according to Al Kluis of Minnesota-based Kluis Commodities. “We had a lot of test weight problems all the way from Iowa through Minnesota and so when… Read More
Grain markets continue to trade a little erratically with analysts mostly focused on acreage estimates and weather forecasts for the northern hemisphere. The wheat complex started the week out strong but lost said strength over the following days as bearish weather and crop condition reports pushed things lower. Also of note though was the U.S…. Read More
Tucked into the federal rail legislation implemented last year was a requirement that’s supposed to hold grain buyers accountable for delivery dates in contracts with farmers. As of August 1, 2014, licensed grain companies in Western Canada that don’t accept grain during the timeframe defined in a contract are required to pay some sort of penalty to the producer…. Read More
You’ve heard of 3D printing, how could you not? It’s been all over the news, from its potential in modern medicine (think printing prosthetics), to its use in cooking up dinners in space. But, between medicine and the international space station, there’s agriculture. And agriculture has a great deal to benefit from this technology too…. Read More
Sofina Foods Inc. has announced plans to turn the former Great Lakes Specialty Meats hog processing plant in Mitchell, Ontario into a turkey processing operation. The Markham-based company acquired the property in September 2014 after Great Lakes entered receivership. According to court documents, a net $4.77 million was paid for the site, which includes a… Read More